What do I mean when I say Remember God? Well, I mean to keep Him on your mind constantly. Seek His will in everything you do and try to do that will without regard for your current circumstances. We all face trials and tribulations. We all have wants and needs. God already knows and understands what’s happening in our lives and actively cares for our needs. Not always satisfying all our desires, but always fulfilling our needs. The Lord will get us through everything we face. He may have a long hard road of trials to take us through, but with His leadership, mercy, and grace, we will make it through every tribulation. Even if that trial or tribulation kills us, God is in control, and if we are absent from our body, we will be present with the Lord. In other words, God’s gift to us for pressing forward according to His will may mean that He calls us home to heaven.
David Remembers God
Psalm 42:7-11
7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
8 Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
A Little Background
In our English Bibles, we call them Psalms. According to the International Bible Society, “The traditional Hebrew title is tehillim (meaning “praises”), even though many of the psalms are tephillot (meaning “prayers”).” Psalm 42 is attributed to the Sons of Korah and is a song of remembrance of God. It takes David from his grief because of Saul’s cruelty to him to David remembering God’s grace, and Psalm 42 ends with David praising God. I believe this is something we all need to do continually. Let’s take a closer look at verses 8-11.
Remember God
In verse 7, David expresses that he has recently gone through tumultuous times. He likens them to a waterspout (tornado on the sea) and waves crashing over him. Then in verse 8, God commands goodness and kindness into David’s day and night, which is a Hebrew idiom meaning continually. So, the Lord (Yahweh) continually commands mercy and grace to permeate David’s life, and David praises God for this as “the God of his life.” Therefore, we can conclude that if we praise the Lord, He is faithful to provide us with His lovingkindness.
Then in verses 9-10, David reaffirms how he feels about God by calling Him his rock. In other words, he is his steadfast protector and Lord. He then asks a couple of rhetorical questions, which are typical for Christians. It demonstrates our fleshly questions and desires caused by our earthly troubles. His enemies even ask him, “Where is your God?”
In verse 11, David does some self-reflection. He asks himself, why are you discouraged and dejected? And he answers his own question, “hope thou in God.” Then he praises God, causing his gloomy face to become healthy and uplifted, giving God the credit.
David’s Example of Remembering God
We constantly have to deal with trials and tribulations, but also the needs and wants of our flesh. David’s example shares with us our need to keep the Lord (Yahweh) on our minds continually. Keeping our minds on Him will help us through every trial and tribulation. Keeping our minds on Him will allow us to cope with our fleshly desires more responsibly. In other words, we will trust God to care for our needs and be content with what he provides. We need to trust that God knows best, and our earthly desires should never supersede the perfect will of God. Luke 12:27-31. Remember God and keep Him on your mind constantly.
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