Thursday, July 23, 2020  

Today’s Scripture Reading  |  Psalm 105:1–11, 45b

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
He is mindful of his covenant forever, of the word that he commanded,
for a thousand generations,
the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,
which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.”
Praise the Lord! (NRSV)

Reflection
Oh, dear. It’s often difficult for even those who are most devout to speak boldly of their faith even if they are around their church friends. But here the psalmist enjoins us to “make known among the nations” what God has done. Granted, the psalmist’s world was not as large as we know it today, but to him the world probably seemed as large. Yet the writer feels so confident in God’s timeless omnipresence that he joyfully sings praises and recounts God’s care through the ages to ancestors and their descendants. Most important, the writer asks us to remember God’s “everlasting covenant” to God’s people (“a thousand generations”). A tall order, perhaps more so for us now as the world seems to be spinning out of control.

The reassurance and comfort of so many of the psalms is what many of us are seeking now. They are a timeless reminder that God’s covenant renews. It is fundamental. It is everlasting. I think it is best to consider this covenant as general and pervasive. It is not a set of specific promises for a list of outcomes we might seek. Rather, it is a promise of overarching care for all of God’s people.

“Praise the Lord.”

Prayer
Loving God, things can seem pretty bleak right now until I pause and remember to whom I’m talking. Help me to remember and rejoice in your care through the ages and in the current age. Amen.

Written by Rebecca Dixon, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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