ETCHED INTO OUR MEMORY

Psalm 44
ETCHED INTO OUR MEMORY
We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. (v.1)

In the Christian Bookshop, the bold words seem to leap out of the wall plaque: "Great is Thy Faithfulness." "It will last a long time," the salesgirl explains. "The words are etched into the wood by strong acid."

Should not this also be the way lessons of our life are etched into our memory? We are by nature forgetful creatures. We can barely remember what we were doing this time yesterday, much less what happened last year or ten years ago! God knows us and our weakness. No wonder he gave explicit instructions to the Israelites to remember, even to re-enact history. The Passover feast recalling the Exodus from Egypt is an outstanding example (Ex 12).

Similarly, Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, so that his disciples would not forget the death He died for them. We need to hear again and again what God had done. So the psalmist recounts the acts of God at length (vv.2-16). In his recollection, he traces the high points as well as the low. God delivered his people; he also rejected them. God gave them victory; he also made them a reproach.

In God's dealings with us, not all is blessing. Nevertheless, when we look back, we will find his hand in all the events of our life. Significant milestones should be specially marked on our calendar. The celebration of anniversaries, of our birthday, baptism, wedding, and other occasions should serve to remind us of God's goodness. As we reflect on the past, we find confidence in God for the future.

Remembering what God has done assures us of what God can do.