Remembering what God has Done - February 20
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15; Deut. 6:10-15; Heb 1:1-14; John 1:1-18
One of the key principles of the Judeo-Christian faith is the call to remember what God has done for us for each of us and the world. One place this can be found is in the repetition that takes place in the Eucharist which is so important because it reminds us weekly of all that God has done for humanity. Every single week, we hear the creation story, we hear about our own broken relationship with God, and then we hear what God has done for us in Jesus Christ through the Eucharist. Remembering changes how we see the world and our own relationship to the world.
This same principle if found throughout the Old Testament. Jewish people are commanded to recite the prayer that begins “Hear, O Israel” every morning and evening, which includes the commandment to love God with all one’s heart and mind and soul, and to love one’s neighbors as themselves. By requiring faithful people to say this prayer over and over, at the opening and closing of a day, it places the principle of love for God and others at the core of one’s faith.
In today’s Old Testament lesson is another reminder of what God expects from you and me. The author reminds the Israelites that it was God who gave them cities, cities that they didn’t build, and vineyards they didn’t plant. They are commanded to remember so they do not forget that it was God who brought them out of slavery as foreigners into a new land. The implication of the text is that the people might think that all that is theirs is because of their own hard work. It’s not, but by the grace of God. And failure to remember God’s work will change how the Israelites live in relationship to others.
This is one of the reasons that it is so important for us to be committed to remembering all that God has done in our lives because it changes how we relate to the world and each other. Often in the Old Testament remembering was directly tied to how one would care for others. The Israelites needed to remember they were foreigners so that they always treat the stranger as a sacred guest. By remembering where they have come from, they can care for the poor and marginalized. Remembering who we are in relationship to God helps us to care for others.
As I look around our community, it is quite apparent that God has profoundly shaped our lives and we have much to be grateful for. May we never forget that it is God working through us and not us on our own accord so that we can see the sacred responsibility to continue God’s work of love and care for all.
John+
Questions for Self-Reflection: What events and growth in your life do you specifically attribute to God?
Daily Challenge: Think of something you could offer someone else related to what God has done for you. See yourself as God’s answer to someone else’s suffering or needs.