Devo 20: A Call to Remember

Psalm 105:1-5

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD!
   Call upon His name;
   Make known His deeds among the peoples!

2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
   Talk of all His wondrous works!

3 Glory in His holy name;
   Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!

4 Seek the LORD and His strength;
   Seek His face evermore!

5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
   His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth

When people are in times of trouble, they usually begin to say, “Where is God? Why is He silent? Why is He not helping me?” It is so easy to do. I know I’ve done it. That’s why I love Psalm 105.

This psalm was written as a song to the Lord for the people of Israel to remember the history of what the Lord has done for them. Not only does it recount key events in their history, but it points to God as the faithful, everlasting, covenant-keeping God.

Verse 5 says, “Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,” and I love verse 8, “He remembers His covenant forever…” This is speaking of the covenant He made with Abraham that Israel would be an everlasting kingdom—of which we are now grafted in (Gen. 12:3).

Recounting the story of Joseph, verse 16 speaks of the famine that came upon the land and how Joseph received promises from God but went through many trials before he saw them come to pass. Verse 19 is the key verse here. Speaking of Joseph, it says, “Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” Wow. Pause there a minute.

Joseph had many opportunities to turn his back on God, yet he remembered the word of the Lord given to him, beginning with his dreams as a young man of his family bowing to him. Even though Joseph probably reached his breaking point a number of times, he remembered the promises of the Lord and knew that they would be fulfilled.

The psalm also reminds the people of the 40 years they wandered in the wilderness and how the Lord was faithful to provide and lead them, “For He remembered His holy promise, and Abraham His servant. He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness” (105:42-43).

This concept of remembering is found throughout the Old Testament. My favorite discovery on this concept involves the story of Noah. There is a certain literary device in ancient literature called a chiasm. It is used to draw attention to the focal point of the story. We normally aren’t aware of literary devices in our English bibles (Psalm 119 is a rare exception). A chiasm, however, is a poetic writing of scripture that makes an “X” with the primary focal point of the passage in the center.

The story of Noah makes this literary chiasm and the focal point is Chapter 8:1, “And God remembered Noah.” The whole story is focused around that climatic phrase. The point of the whole story was that God remembered Noah floating in that boat and made the waters and storms subside so that they would live. God remembered his promise to Noah that he would not be destroyed.

When we are in times of trouble, we have to remember His faithfulness. Even when we are not in trouble, we have to constantly refresh our memory of the times He was faithful to us. For most people, it is not that God is not involved in their lives, but that they do not remember the times when He was.

Like the children of Israel, we have to go back and remember the Lord’s faithfulness in our lives. Perhaps a certain verse caught your attention one time when you were reading, and finally made sense to you. Maybe it was a dream or an encouraging word from a friend. Maybe He provided financially in a way that only He could. Perhaps He comforted your heart after a traumatic experience.

Whatever the circumstance, go back and remember those times. Write them down. Take time this week to write down your personal history with God. Read them and offer thanks to Him for being faithful to remember His promises to you. It is about relationship with Him and realizing that He is intimately involved in your life. He remembers You!

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!” (Psalm 105: 1-2)

Blessings,
 
Amanda

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