Remembering to Forget
Bible in a Year: Numbers 1-3; Mark 3
Why, my soul, are you downcast? . . . Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5
Today's Scripture: Psalm 42:1-8
Insight
Psalm 42 is a song of ups and downs. The singer rises to crescendo (vv. 1-4) with a statement of praise and celebration, joining the throng in worship (presumably at the temple or tabernacle). The singer then expresses a deep emotional low, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (v. 5). This pattern follows in the remainder of the psalm by showing the psalmist’s trust in Him in verse 8 only to repeat his lament in verse 11. When he feels that He has forsaken him (vv. 9-10), he remembers to put his “hope in God” (v. 11). Today, when we find it difficult to move beyond our pain, it can provide comfort to remember that God is faithful.
Author Richard Mouw tells of a Black theologian from South Africa who struggled with dark memories of life under apartheid. Mouw wrote, “He told a story about an African child whose teacher asked her to define ‘memory.’ After thinking about it, the child said, ‘Memory is that thing that helps me to forget.’ ” Out of the mouths of babes! Her past held much she didn’t want to recall, so she wanted to remember the good things.
Many carry the scars of terrible, seemingly unforgettable things. But that child’s wisdom offers hope. If we learn to remember better things, those memories can strengthen us to move forward from our painful past. In Psalm 42, the psalmist feels like a deer running for its life. However, he also says, “These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng” (v. 4).
The singer’s memories of worshiping God encouraged him to praise, even in the midst of pain. “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (v. 5). Remembering who our God is—and that we are His—can help us move beyond the painful past we can’t forget.
Reflect & Pray
What dark memories of struggles and pains haunt you? How will you allow the God of all hope to move you beyond them?
Dear Father, You know my scars and wounds, my anger and grief. Please wrap me in Your goodness and mercy; give me healing from hurts long past but not forgotten.