It catches us a bit off guard to hear the Psalmist reminding God to love him. Does God need to be reminded to honor his promises? Surely there are times when God seems distant, even hesitant to respond as we think God should. I believe that has more to do with our misunderstanding of God, however, than with God’s poor memory.
Henri Nouwen once wrote, “Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, that without listening, speaking no longer heals, that without distance, closeness cannot cure.” The hard lesson of Nouwen’s words and probably the Psalmist’s as well, is that silence, and even seeming distance, develop a degree of maturity in matters of faith that nothing else can. In our text the Psalmist calls upon God to, “tell me…show me…guide me…teach me…remember me.” These are words of dependence that establish his need for God’s presence. To call upon God to remember him is to affirm his need for God.
I suppose, if we are honest with ourselves, there have been times when we have felt as if God has forsaken us…forgotten us. The promise of God’s word, however, affirms clearly God’s commitment to faithfulness…”I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) Perhaps we are calling ourselves once more to affirm what we believe to be true when we seek to stir the memory of God. To remind God is to remind ourselves of the wondrous relationship of love we share with the One who has made us and redeemed us through Jesus Christ.
In Mary’s response to God’s call in Luke 1, she says, “He has helped his servant, the people of
Prayer: Thank you for remembering and loving us, dear Lord. Amen.
Jim Abernathy
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