Ps. 106, 111-112
“Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD or declare all His praise?” (Psalm 106:2). Who indeed. The LORD is bigger than our minds can imagine; greater than we can fathom. What we have seen and know of Him is just the tip of a great iceberg! And yet how short are our memories and how small our minds concerning Him! Psalm 106 recounts how, time and again, God’s people “did not consider [God’s] wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of [God’s] steadfast love.” (Ps 106:7b). We can look at what they did and think how weak, how stupid, how stubborn and hard-heated they were. But the truth is that we are really no different. We are prone to the same behavior.
In contrast to our short memories and faithlessness, Psalm 111 tells how God is faithful and never forgets His promises. And Psalm 112 tells us that those who remain steadfast in righteousness “will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.” (Ps 112:6). All of this shows us why it is so important to actively remember who God is and what He has done; to keep God’s greatness constantly in mind. Consistently reading and meditating on His Word is one way we can do this. Remembering and even recording how He has worked in our own lives and in the lives of those around us is another.
1 Thess. 2
Paul makes it very clear in this letter that his ministry is driven by love and service to God, which is manifested in love and service to those whom he is attempting to reach with God’s truth. There is nothing self-serving or demanding about his work. He genuinely cares for those who believe God’s message, delivered through him and his companions (or through anybody else who delivered God’s message in the same way). What a contrast to how “The Church” has behaved at various times throughout history! And what a great example for us, as we strive to live our lives for Christ that others might see and know that He alone is God.
Something else occurred to me, reading this chapter this morning. Paul often mentions that he longed to visit the church he is writing to, but how Satan, or something else, was hindering them. It seems the result of such hindrance is that Paul wrote to the churches instead. And now, because of what he perceived as a road block, we have his letters in our Bible. We just never know how the obstacles we face might have a positive impact for others! God’s ways are surely not our own!