Travelng Mercies for July 31 – August 5
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. Remember the wonderful works God has done…” Psalm 105: 4-5a
Remember is the song David sang – and in part, he must have been remembering how he had been saved from Saul and the enemies he fought – but also from his own darkness and foolishness from day to day. Remember, David sang, how the Lord God has been with us through thick and thin – in our best and worst moments – to heal us and bless us even when we were so caught up in our own stuff, we barely remembered God at all. Remember, because if we do so deeply and truly, we will know Whom to thank, and in that we will find encouragement.
In this psalm, David went on to name some of the “wonderful works” in Israel’s history to remember. Why? So that there will be hope for the future. Frederick Buechner has said, ”Hope stands up to its’ knees in the past and keeps its eyes on the future. There has never been a time past when God wasn’t with us as the strength beyond our strength, the wisdom beyond our wisdom. To remember the past is to see that we are here today by grace, as a gift.”
So we remember, the wonderful works God has done; in the lives of each of us as well as the life of the world – all the times we have been strengthened, and comforted, and healed, and challenged – so that we learn that God’s kind of life is the life that truly matters. So because we remember, we have this hope that what God has done, God will continue to do in some way, and what God begins in each of us, and in the world, God will bring to completion.
So, this call to remember isn’t about staying in the past. It’s so that we can go forward confidently into the future. This verse is about the times in our lives when we are given a choice – to move forward into reformation or not. But at the same time, and hear this – this verse shows us that we always carry something of the past with us as we go. We always carry with us those times that were part of making us who we are today, and will be part of who we’ll become in the future.
Whenever we are heading into a new future, that is our challenge – figuring out what really essential stuff will be carried with us from the past. It’s always going to be about packing light – but that’s not just about how much we’ll carry. Maybe more, it’s about the best qualities that we’ll bring. How well will what we remember equip us for where we’re going? When the times come – these will be the kinds of questions that will guide our way forward – if we will let them.
Prayer:
O God who accompanies us on all our journeys, help us to see your way before us. Help us to be undeterred by the hardships we are facing, or the uncertainty, or the doubts. Help us to remember you, and receive your wisdom, your strength, your love as we follow where you lead. Amen.
Peace, Pastor Ed