September 23, 2019
Psalm 106:44-48
by Dr. Kristen Burkhart
Associate Pastor of Fountain City UMC (Knoxville, TN)
Tennessee Valley District
God remembered the covenant with them… God remembered the covenant with us… How can we remember our covenant with God? Now a days we have so much information being thrown at us it seems, at times, unless we write it down, set an alarm on our phone, or a reminder in an app that we will forgot something important. Have we set a time aside daily to remember our covenant with God?
We lose or misplace things on a regular basis. We have watches now that will help us locate our phones and phones that have apps that will help us locate our keys. We have location apps for our phones to help us locate or track our children and family members. And yet, have we located God lately? Have we been seeking out the action of the Holy Spirit and the locations of Jesus’s love in our lives and those around us?
When I forget something or when I lose something I try to go back through my actions or locations to help me look for what I have lost. Mostly, this means, back tracking through my day.
What would happen if we back tracked through this scripture starting with verse 48 and then onto verse 47 until we end on verse 44? It would read like the following from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord.
Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.
For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard there cry.
By looking at the scripture in this manner one may see the instructions to thank God for what we have lost because we were blessed to have it first. Then ask for God’s assistance and pity during our time of seeking. Then remembering God’s covenant with us as we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus our Lord and Savior may we claim God’s glory again. And know then that God hears our cries and sees our distress.
During our times of loss and distress may we remember God’s everlasting covenant with us. “Amen.”
Gracious Lord, help us to remember the covenant you made with us and your steadfast love. Thank you for remembering your covenant with us and your everlasting love. During our times of distress, loss, frustration, and dismay help us to find time to be in covenant with you every day. Have pity on us when we forget and hear our cries. Amen.
We lose or misplace things on a regular basis. We have watches now that will help us locate our phones and phones that have apps that will help us locate our keys. We have location apps for our phones to help us locate or track our children and family members. And yet, have we located God lately? Have we been seeking out the action of the Holy Spirit and the locations of Jesus’s love in our lives and those around us?
When I forget something or when I lose something I try to go back through my actions or locations to help me look for what I have lost. Mostly, this means, back tracking through my day.
What would happen if we back tracked through this scripture starting with verse 48 and then onto verse 47 until we end on verse 44? It would read like the following from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord.
Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.
For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard there cry.
By looking at the scripture in this manner one may see the instructions to thank God for what we have lost because we were blessed to have it first. Then ask for God’s assistance and pity during our time of seeking. Then remembering God’s covenant with us as we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus our Lord and Savior may we claim God’s glory again. And know then that God hears our cries and sees our distress.
During our times of loss and distress may we remember God’s everlasting covenant with us. “Amen.”
Gracious Lord, help us to remember the covenant you made with us and your steadfast love. Thank you for remembering your covenant with us and your everlasting love. During our times of distress, loss, frustration, and dismay help us to find time to be in covenant with you every day. Have pity on us when we forget and hear our cries. Amen.