I was thinking today about Ruth as I finished up galley edits on her story, and in the process, the bigger story of redemption would not remain silent. The truth is, the Bible is one cohesive redemptive story of just how much God loves us and to what lengths He went to prove it. But sometimes I forget, don’t you?
Perhaps that is why King David wrote these words that I added to some pictures. “Praise the Lord, my soul. FORGET NOT ALL of his benefits.”
How had God benefited David – aside from making him King of Israel? He’d done something far better than making David king. There are many kings in this world and I daresay that most of them think they are powerful. Not too sure that humility and kingship go together very often. Although Jesus was the perfect model of both, though He chose not to be recognized as the King He is–yet.
But back to David. In his life he was king, but so what? God promised him a future–a son to sit on the throne after him–a legacy that would lead to the Messiah. Now that’s pretty cool!
But it’s still not thing David praised God for most. He didn’t want to forget that God had FORGIVEN ALL of his sins and REDEEMED his life from the pit. (That word, redemption again, which is Ruth’s shining story.)
And on top of all of that, God crowned David, not with a golden jeweled crown (though he had that too) but with LOVE AND COMPASSION.
After studying David’s life for many years, I can bet that forgiveness, redemption, love, and compassion mattered FAR more to David than any other gift God had given him. THAT is what he wanted to remember. So he told his soul to praise the Lord. To praise the Lord so that he wouldn’t forget.
Beloved, do you find it hard (like I do) to praise the Lord – especially when life is hard? Do you even find it hard to pray sometimes?
We need to REMEMBER. Remember Who it is that loves us. Remember ALL of His benefits. His forgiveness. His love and compassion. His Grace.
Never forget His great grace. Because He gave everything to give it to us. And we so often take it for granted. And still He forgives. He loves. He invites us to remember so that we have reason to praise. And reason to praise isn’t to boost God’s ego. It’s to give us JOY!
You know, I think almost everything in Scripture – every redemptive act – every story told – is really about God jealously loving us to the point that even what seems hard is always meant to bring us back to the joy that He wants to give us.
But too often we allow ourselves to forget. And that’s what David told his soul NOT to do.
REMEMBER. DON’T FORGET.We need Him. And His benefits are better than any this earth could ever offer us.
~Selah #livelovesprayhopetrust #remember #forgetnot #godneverstopslovingus #hisredemptionistrue
