Holston Daily Devotional February 23, 2021

Focus Scripture

Psalm 77:1-15

For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of Asaph.

1 I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
    Oh, that God would listen to me!
2 When I was in deep trouble,
    I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
    but my soul was not comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan,
    overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude

4 You don’t let me sleep.
    I am too distressed even to pray!
5 I think of the good old days,
    long since ended,
6 when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
    I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
7 Has the Lord rejected me forever?
    Will he never again be kind to me?
8 Is his unfailing love gone forever?
    Have his promises permanently failed?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude

10 And I said, “This is my fate;
    the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
    I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
    I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

13 O God, your ways are holy.
    Is there any god as mighty as you?
14 You are the God of great wonders!
    You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

Devotion

Have you ever been to that place where your soul is so tired and worn, so stressed and weary, that you cannot even pray? As one who lives with chronic anxiety and depression, I have. But you do not need firsthand experience with chronic anxiety and depression to find yourself in that place. Sometimes it just happens. Church division, political mayhem, global pandemic, unwelcome isolation, and grave uncertainty gnaw at our sense of well-being. And sometimes, like the psalmist in today’s reading, we sink into “deep trouble...overwhelmed with longing for [God’s] help.” (v 3)

Sometimes, no matter how hard we have prayed, our souls are “not comforted.” (v 2) We think of “the good old days” and compare them to today’s despair. In the pit of our being, we feel completely rejected by God...wholly forgotten, utterly abandoned, mercilessly neglected. (vv 4-9) We become stuck in this desolate place and feel like there is nowhere to go except deeper and deeper into nothingness where our conversation with God goes silent.

I think God knew that we would have times like this. I think God knew that there would be times when holy conversation fails. So God told His people what He continues to tell us today through God’s Word: REMEMBER. To keep us on God’s path, God says, “Remember. Remember Me. Remember My presence. Remember My mercy. Remember My deeds." Or as Moses says: “Remember this day... the day that you came out of Egypt, out of the place you were slaves, because the Lord acted with power to bring you out’ of that place. (Ex 13:3, CEB) Did you notice that God’s Word does not say to pray? God’s Word says to remember.

Remembering is so important that God gave God’s people a whole day dedicated for that purpose. “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That’s why the Lord your God commands you to keep the Sabbath day.” (Deut 5:15, CEB) Not only that, God wanted God’s people to celebrate their remembrances. For example, when planning for the harvest celebration, Moses says: “Remember how each of you was a slave in Egypt, so follow these regulations most carefully.” (Deut 16:12. CEB) And when David established worship before the ark in the tent, he said: “Remember the wondrous works [God] has done, all his marvelous works, and the justice he declared…” (1 Chr 16:12, CEB) God’s Word does not say to pray. God’s Word says to remember.

Indeed, celebrating what God has done and who God has been gives us joy for today and hope for tomorrow. But sometimes, when we are in that other place - where our holy conversation falls silent and we are stuck in deep trouble - we are unable to celebrate. But even in that place, God’s Word is the same: REMEMBER. When the way gets hard and you grow weary or afraid, God says, “Remember Me.” “‘Don’t be afraid. Remember, instead, what the Lord your God did’ for you.” (Deut 7:18, CEB) God’s Word does not say to pray. God’s Word says to remember.

When Jesus, the Living Word, was about to embody God’s love for the world by surrendering to death, he said to his disciples, “Remember me.” He knew that his followers would face hard times. He knew they would suffer persecution. He knew they would tussle with temptation. He knew they would grow worn and weary. So on that night, he prepared them for that place. “He took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke off some pieces, gave them to the apostles and said, ‘This bread is my body that I am giving for you. Eat this to remember me.’” (Luke 22:19, ERV) To give them strength for the journey, Jesus says: REMEMBER. Remember me. Jesus does not say to pray. Jesus says said to remember.

Remembering God’s presence saves us from the past, helps us live in the present, and carries us into the future. If you ever find yourself in that place where you cannot pray, remember that you can remember. You can remember: God repeatedly redeemed God’s people. You can remember Jesus valiantly redeemed the whole world. You can remember Jesus lovingly redeems you still. You can remember until you can pray. And then you can remember and pray some more.

Remember…

Amen.