The first casualties of upheaval can be love, kindness, and patience. But crisis is also a moment when love for God & one another can spring up. For 150 days, starting on 17th March 2020, I will write 300 words based on one of the 150 psalms in the bible. How can I find and give love in the midst of coronavirus?
It was 70 years later, but he could still remember all the details. The low-level flight over Yugoslavia in his Beaufighter fighter-bomber. The four planes keeping low over the ground seeking to avoid the anti-aircraft fire. The moment when they emerged over the sea and could see the German minesweeper in the harbour. The wave height attack as he fired his 6 rockets into the ship, and the rooftop skimming journey back to base, dodging the gunfire that sought to bring them down.
Ask anyone to recall significant moments in their lives and they will tell you the story – often in far more detail than you want. But the stories are often worth telling and worth hearing.
Psalm 78 is a long retelling of what has happened in the past, what God has done. The stories aren’t new to anyone who’s read the Old Testament – but the stories are worth telling and worth hearing. Why? Because we forget and get ourselves into trouble.
1 My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old – 3 things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. 5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, 6 so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. 7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
Why retell this story? Because again and again, the people of God are walking away from Him. The psalm continues by saying ‘God did this great thing, but the people wandered away’. It happened over and over again. And so this Psalm is meant as a reminder to those who are singing it. Look what God has done in the past, remember all this great stuff God did – and in the light of that, choose to follow Him and not to wander off.
I used to wonder why anyone who had become a Christian would choose to walk away from God. Whilst I now know what some of the reasons are – I still think it’s a really bad choice. God is so good, He has done some many amazing things – whether in history or in my life – why would I walk away, even if things are difficult.
I want to be like those described in verse 7, rather than like those described in the rest of the psalm:
7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
Let’s remember what God has done – and let’s choose to follow him again today.
Love
Matt