The Discipline of Remembering

Psalm 77 begins with the psalmist crying out to God. He is full of fear and stress. Life had become too hard. He cried for God t0 hear him, to help him. He lay on his bed at night moaning and groaning. He remembered God but in a spirit of fear. Where is he, has he forgotten me, will I ever see happy times again? Where is he, has he rejected me, will he fail to keep his promises?

Suddenly the psalmist switches gears. His thoughts go from what he fears to the one in whom he has placed his faith. He activates a discipline of remembering. Remembering God's mighty deeds and awesome works. He takes it a step further and meditates on all that God has done. He takes us inside his process as he describes God's miraculous deliverance for the children of Israel. He begins to see the bigger picture.

Then the psalm ends. He doesn't return to his bedtime musings. He doesn't tell us that now his fears are gone. Still, I believe he has left us an important message. The discipline of remembering and meditating on God's nature, works and ways is a real difference maker. While under stress he ordered his thinking to take a new tack to go in a new direction. I believe we can do this too. I want to develop a discipline of remembering God and his faithfulness. How about you?