Psalm105:1-11 (CEB)

Psalm 105

105 Give thanks to the Lord;
    call upon his name;
    make his deeds known to all people!
2 Sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord;
    dwell on all his wondrous works!
3 Give praise to God’s holy name!
    Let the hearts rejoice of all those seeking the Lord!
4 Pursue the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always!
5 Remember the wondrous works he has done,
    all his marvelous works, and the justice he declared—
6     you who are the offspring of Abraham, his servant,
        and the children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

7 The Lord—he is our God.
    His justice is everywhere throughout the whole world.
8 God remembers his covenant forever,
    the word he commanded to a thousand generations,
9         which he made with Abraham,
        the solemn pledge he swore to Isaac.
10 God set it up as binding law for Jacob,
    as an eternal covenant for Israel,
11     promising, “I hereby give you the land of Canaan
    as your allotted inheritance.”

Reflection

Recently I spent the week helping out at our church’s fun filled Vacation Bible School with third through fifth graders. The children loved listening to the Bible stories each day. At the end of the week they knew all the stories about how God loves us and calls us to love others. Adults like to hear stories from the Bible too, stories of struggle, perseverance and God’s faithful love. We can see how their lives were not so different from our own experiences and dependance on God. These Bible stories bring us together, connect us and help us to make sense of our lives and our place on our journey with God.

Psalm 105 tells us a story about the history of the covenant relationship between God and God’s people. The first fifteen verses of the Psalm are taken from I Chronicles 16:8-22, a composition of King David celebrating bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. It describes the worship of God, giving thanks and singing praises to God for God’s mighty acts and wonderful works on behalf of God’s people. If you read the whole Psalm, it recounts the story of God’s faithful relationship with God’s people, from Abraham to Moses. The story calls the people to remember and rejoice for all that God has done for them in good times and difficult times and for God’s loving faithfulness.

The psalmist calls on God’s people to “seek God’s face,” to intentionally seek God with our minds and our hearts, to come into God’s presence. While God is always with us, we aren’t always seeking to be in God’s presence. When we are in God’s presence it brings us joy and our hearts rejoice. We are renewed and God will give us strength to face life’s challenges.

by Jeneene Reduker

For Pondering & Prayer

Imagine if you were telling your story to others. Right now, remember the things God has done for you in your life, through the good times and the challenging times. Give God your praise and thanks and seek God’s presence. There you will receive strength for the journey. Let your heart rejoice in God’s loving faithfulness.

Prayer: Holy and Loving God, we seek to be in your presence. Fill our hearts with joy, help us to tell others our stories of your loving faithfulness, and give us strength to serve you. Amen.