When I Almost Forgot What God Had Already Done

We are a people of forgetting. It's almost hard to believe when you read through what the Israelites actually witnessed. Plagues. The Red Sea splitting open. Manna falling from the sky every single morning. And still, over and over, they forgot. They complained like none of it had happened. They turned to other gods, like the miracles they'd just seen with their own eyes meant nothing.

Psalm 103:2 — "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

That verse exists because forgetting is apparently something we need to be reminded not to do. And this past month, I've been living that out in a really practical way.

Going Back Through Everything

I started going through old journals. Old photos. Just sitting and actually trying to remember, in detail, the things God has done in my life. And it was so much more fruitful than I expected. There were things I had genuinely forgotten. Not small things either. Moments where I know, looking back, that there's no explanation for how something worked out except that God moved.

Deuteronomy 8:2 — "And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you."

That word "remember" isn't a suggestion in Scripture. It shows up again and again because God knows exactly how quickly we forget, even after He's shown up in ways we swore we'd never forget.

Building Something I Could Actually See

So I made a testimony board. It's in my office now, where I see it every day, filled with reminders of specific things God has done. Not vague ones. Specific ones I can point to and say, that happened, and there's no other explanation for it.

Joshua 4:6-7 — "This may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?' Then you shall tell them..."

That's literally why the Israelites built memorials out of stones after God parted the Jordan. Not because God needed the reminder. Because they did. We need something physical, something we can go back to, because our memory alone isn't enough to hold onto what He's already proven.

Why This Matters When Things Don't Work Out

Here's where this actually lands for me. Not everything works out the way we hope. Some things fall through. Some prayers don't get answered the way we wanted. And it's okay when that happens, because the God who didn't come through on that one specific thing has already proven Himself faithful in a hundred other ways you can actually point back to.

That's the whole point of remembering. It's not about pretending everything works out. It's about having enough evidence already stacked up that you can trust Him with the stuff that hasn't worked out yet.

Your Turn

I want to encourage you to actually do this. Go through your journals if you keep them. Go through your camera roll. Sit and think back through the past year, five years, however far back you need to go. Write your miracles down somewhere you'll actually see them again. He is such a good God, and it's so easy to let that truth get buried under whatever's happening right now.

Don't let yourself forget what He's already done.

Reflection Questions:

1. What's one miracle or answered prayer in your life that you'd genuinely forgotten about until just now?

2. What's something in your life right now that hasn't worked out yet? Does what God has already done change how you're waiting on it?

3. What's one way you could physically capture your own "testimony board," a journal, photos, or a note on your phone, so you don't forget?

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Sitthiphong

Joe Navarro, known online as @joechristianguy, is a Christian content creator, entrepreneur, and cultural voice passionate about making faith approachable and impactful for the next generation. With over 4.5 million combined followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Joe delivers bold, Gospel-centered truth through a mix of daily encouragement, short-form teachings, comedic skits, and authentic life experiences. His unique blend of theology, humor, and clarity has created space for millions of young believers and skeptics alike to engage with Scripture and real conversations about following Jesus in a digital world. In 2023, he co-created the popular card game Discernment alongside Jacob and Julia Petersen, which is now available in major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Museum of the Bible, and Mardel. He also holds a degree in Agricultural Economics with a minor in Sales from Texas A&M.