Scripture: Psalm 103:1-5
Journal: Recount and remember the ways God has moved and acted on your behalf
throughout your lifetime. What does this
do within you? Express it to God.
Reflection:
The word for “benefit” in the Hebrew is gemuwl. It comes from the word gamal, which
means to act. Thus, gemuwl means
God’s actions. So when the Psalm
103 tells us to “forget not his benefits,” it is actually telling us to forget
not how God has acted in the past. The
way he has moved and worked and acted on our behalf in the past, should assure
us that he will continue to do so in the future.
I don’t know about you, but
when I think of all the ways God has moved and worked and acted on my behalf
throughout the course of my lifetime, it is more than a little
overwhelming. I cannot help but be extraordinarily
grateful. Unfortunately, I do not do
that often enough. I get so consumed
with the anxiety and insecurity, or the even the fear and frustration and
anger, of the present moment, that I simply forget how he has acted in the
past. It is the old, “What have you done
for me lately?” mentality I suppose.
But the words of this
ancient prayer offer another way. It is
the way of remembrance. It is about
stopping and remembering the ways that God has worked and acted in our lives
thus far, and allowing that to give us confidence that he has not changed; he
can and will care for us once again. Oh,
he might not make things work out exactly the way we want them to, but he will
work them out in such a way that we grow in wisdom and grace and truth, in love
and compassion and beauty. And through
all of it, he will be glorified.
So the next time you are
tempted to react in fear, frustration, or despair over some circumstance in
your life, or the lives of those you love, remember to remember. Stop.
Look back over the course of your lifetime and see all the ways
that God has loved you and cared for you and provided for you in the past, and
rest assured that this time will be no different. You can put your trust, yet again, in him. Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Closing
Prayer: O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single
blessing! (Psalm 103:2, The Message)
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