Biblical Case For Journaling

Some people journal. Good for them. It seems like a nice enough hobby or preference, but hardly something essential. Right?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Maybe journaling (or if you prefer…blogging, photography, scrapbooking, etc.) is far more significant than we realize.

Consider what Moses has to say about the importance of remembering. He writes:

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children…” (Deuteronomy 4:9)

Here’s my paraphrase: Keeping your soul diligently = remembering what you’ve seen God do.

When we think of “keeping our souls diligently,” we tend to think of scripture reading and prayer, community and accountability. And certainly, these are important elements of one’s spiritual life. But here, Moses gives us something else, something very practical to do. Remember.

Remember, remember. Remember the day you came to faith. Remember the day God clearly and valiantly answered prayer. Remember your story, your journey, your healing, your rescue. Remember your valleys and mountain tops and His rod and staff along the way. Remember those streams of water you found in the desert, those gentle breezes, those happy afternoons, those playful toddler days. Those days were real. Those days were from Him. Remember that. Don’t ever forget. Ever.

So why journal, blog, photograph, record? To remember. To keep your soul diligently. To stoke thankfulness. To fan faith into a flame. To trace God’s hand. And to pass the story on to the next generation.