In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. – Psalm 71:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 7, 2013): Psalm 71

We remember, although admittedly not always accurately. I am continually amazed at the outstanding ability we seem to possess to rewrite our own histories. And we seem to have the ability to rewrite history in both directions. Nostalgically we remember some of the rough times of life better than they really were. There is a persistent belief in our culture that yesterday was much better than today, but that belief seems to be without objective proof. But we also rewrite history in the other direction. Or maybe we selectively remember the times of success differently. We run out of confidence in our own abilities – and God’s providence – because we have not remembered some of the good times in life accurately – and we are afraid that they will never occur again. Often we seem to have forgotten the way that God has moved in our lives in the past, so we have no confidence that he will move again in the future – or in our present - turning our challenging situations into more positive ones.

This Psalm is a prayer. The Psalm has no ascription, but it is believed to have been written by David late in life. And David starts off the Psalm with an act of remembering. David remembers all of the times during his life that he had taken refuge in God, and the way that God had moved in response to David’s pleas. Specifically he was probably remembering those times when he had been physically on the run and had no refuge in sight. It was the times that he had been running from Saul or from his son Absalom - the times when he was in danger and he needed refuge. David remembers how God had come through for him in those situations.

And because David remembered what God had done, he could also be assured of the way that God would move in the future – and part of that confidence was in a reliance on God about how he would be remembered after he was gone. The same God who had taken care of him in life would be able to take care of him in death. This was something of which David could be sure.      

David knew the act of remembering was important because it was tied directly to his confidence in what God could do now – and in the future. The only way that any of us can live with the confidence that we need in life is if we remember accurately past – both the things we have done and what god has done in our defence.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 72