Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered… - Psalm 105:4-5
I know I have often talked about the unique way in which Israel remembers God. How they remember not only the good that God has brought, but also the struggle. They remind one another of the struggles they have had as a collective people, when they did not obey God’s law, and rebelled from God’s ways. In doing so, they are reminded that the greater times in when God is with them, and God is with them, when they remember God’s ways.
It is for this reason, that the psalmist finds it fit to remind the people of God’s faithfulness at all times, and call the congregation to seek God’s presence continually. It would be a wonderful thing for us to remember God with us at all times, but often we lose sight of this, and if we think about the exile of the people of God, it is even harder to keep our thoughts on God when we are separated from our people, especially those who remind us of God’s mighty works.
It is evident, that through we are not exiled like those in Israel have been, we are a church in exile. We have not been able to gather, and the longer we are apart, the harder it becomes for some to remember God’s presence with them. I find this psalm comforting in its telling of the story of the Exodus out of Egypt. The psalmist reminds us that God is faithful to God’s promises, yet it also calls us to remember his judgements. We are called to remember a time when God’s people were not able to gather, and began to lose hope in who they were as God’s people. Yet, there is always a remnant. There are always the few, who will remember God, and remain faithful. It is from these few that God does mighty and wonderful works.
I hope and pray that, we in our prayers seek God, continually; that we would remain part of the faithful remnant until these days of exile are over, and that God would again gather his people and lead them to the promised land.
Grace & Peace,
Sam