The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works
To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.
“I cried out to God with my voice—To God with my voice; and He gave ear to me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; my hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah
You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.
Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah
And I said, “This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.
Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You, they were afraid; the depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about. The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook. Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, and Your footsteps were not known. You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
“I cried out to God with my voice—To God with my voice; and He gave ear to me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; my hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah” Ever spend a sleepless night worrying about your situation? Welcome to the club! There are times when we are so worried we don’t know what to do. We feel as if God has abandoned us, and we wonder if He will ever act in our lives again.
“You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.” Sometimes we torment ourselves, beating ourselves up mentally for our failures and searching our hearts to determine where we have gone wrong. Far better then, if we ask God to give us His mind about ourselves and to open our eyes to anything we should confess. Once we have done that, we can be confident that God will fulfill His perfect will and that we can rest in His Love.
“Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah” Sometimes we might feel as if God has abandoned us, but that is never the case. God knows the things we need to train our souls and to perfect us. Unfortunately, that process is frequently painful, but necessary.
“And I said, “This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.” Rather than concentrating on our misery, it’s much better to remind ourselves of all the good things God has done in our lives. Gratitude can lift us out of despair.
“Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah” When we look at the nation of Israel, we are reminded of the number of times God has redeemed the Jews. Even now, as the entire world seems to be against Israel, God is still redeeming them.
“The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You, they were afraid; the depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about. The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook. Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, and Your footsteps were not known. You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” These verses refer to God leading the Israelites through the Red Sea, allowing them to escape from Pharaoh’s army. While that deliverance was a miraculous one, since then there have been multiple times when God has delivered the Jews.
APPLICATION: Belatedly, several different authors have recently written about the benefits of practicing mindfulness and gratitude. Mindfulness simply refers to noticing things around us and appreciating them while gratitude involves a decision to remain grateful for all the good things that surround us. Sometimes we must struggle to be grateful. The story is told of Saint Teresa of Avila, a Spanish saint, who was quite close to God. Once while traveling, Teresa’s ox cart became mired in deep mud. Teresa is said to have looked heavenward and remonstrated with God, saying, “If this is the way You treat Your friends, no wonder you have so few of them!”
Scripture advises us to praise God even during difficulties, for when we do so, our minds are released from bitterness. Romans 8:28 says, “ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Brother Lawrence was a Christian monk living in the 17th century whose life became an inspiration for all around him. Lawrence advised, “Do not pray for relief from pain, but pray for strength to suffer with courage, humility and love.” It was also Lawrence who said, “The most holy and important practice in the spiritual life is the presence of God – that is, every moment to take great pleasure that God is with you.” Even if we feel that God might have abandoned us, we can remind ourselves that God is with us and that He loves us.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You for always being with us, whether or not we feel Your presence. Help us to continually remember that fact and to praise You even when things are difficult. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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