Looking back

"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble; and he delivered them from their distress."--Psalm 107.6
It seems I have been taught by many people in my life not to look back. In our culture, we tend to be a "look forward" people. This isn't all bad. It's good to look forward to special times of celebration: a graduation, marriage, the birth of a newborn, even another birthday. It's good not to dwell on the past in a negative way. It's good not to focus on past hurts and pain. It's good to forgive and forget.
But sometimes, as followers of Christ, it's also good to look back on the times when we have been delivered by God, the times when God has meet us at the point of our need and shown his power, love, and grace. That's what the psalmist is talking about in the Scripture above. In Psalm 107, he recounts many different people who were suffering various trials, "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble; and he delivered them from their distress."
Why not take a few moments today and remember what God has done for you? Recount his blessings and the times that God has delivered you from trouble and hard times.