Why Study History?

The Importance of Reviewing Miracles of Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow 

The study of history generally evokes two reactions in people. Some immediately light up and share anecdotes that they recently read about. Maybe you are one of those history-lovers. Or maybe, like countless individuals, your eyes glaze over, and you recall hours of tedious instruction from your school days, hoping never to have to relive those history lessons again. 

Well, regardless of your past experience with history, let us try looking at it a different way. As Christians who believe that “God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), let us look at history as HIS-STORY, the story of redemption. God wants us to study this way, and it’s actually a command from Him to review what He has done for us in the past.  

3500 years ago, God instructed Moses to tell us to continually remind ourselves, our children, and those around us of instances of divine protection (miracles) of the past: “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them to thy sons, and thy sons' sons” (Deuteronomy 4:9). 

Not only does reminding ourselves of miracles of the past help build our faith in God, but it also helps us develop a character to withstand the Time of Trouble as predicted in Matthew 24. Over 100 years ago, Ellen White reminded us that: “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” ¹ The inverse of that powerful statement is that we do have everything to fear if we forget the way that God has led us! However, Christians awaiting the Second Coming of Jesus want to be full of joy, not fear, so let us continually remind ourselves of what God has done for us in His church, in our nation, and in our personal lives.  

In upcoming issues, the reader will encounter specific instances of divine protection. Join us as we recall thrilling miracles from the times of the Waldenses, Lollards, and other faithful groups of the Dark Ages. Reexamine American history as we explore how God used the weather to change the outcomes of prominent battles in the American Revolution and the War of 1812, preserving democracy and giving Christians the constitutional freedom to spread the good news about Jesus’ Second Coming. Encounter inspiring testimonies from fellow Christians like yourself and their experiences of miracles God has performed in their lives.  

HIS-STORY

As people living in the end times, awaiting the arrival of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let us study history as HIS-STORY, comforting ourselves with the knowledge that He who protected His people in the past will continue to protect us today. 

All scripture taken from the King James Version