Recounting

One of the themes we see throughout the whole of Scripture is a recounting of the wondrous works of the Lord. We see it in the memorial feasts instituted in the Old Testament, in the stones set up as visual reminders, in the rituals and ceremonies prescribed, in the songs that are recorded for us, and in the words of the Lord spoken to His people through His prophets. We see it – often – in the Psalms. Psalms 66, 77, 71, 40, and 78 among others invite us to listen and to share, to speak of the mighty works of the Lord to those around us; Psalms 18, 105, 106, and 78 (again, among others) are a few that specifically recount the Lord’s faithfulness, providence, and deliverance. It’s a clear pattern and example we have laid out for us.

I don’t think it’s something on which we’re necessarily very good about following through, though. It’s one thing to talk about sharing examples of the Lord’s goodness, and it’s quite another to be that vulnerable and open with others and actually tell them specifically how we’ve seen the Lord’s providence. Speaking for myself only, often I feel like there’s too much backstory that I would need to relate in order to properly convey the depth of meaning; sometimes there’s not the time for that, sometimes it’s simply not appropriate for a myriad of reasons, and in many instances I just don’t want others to see the depth of my need. I have an image of self-sufficiency and independence to maintain, after all. (Kidding. Sort of. Tongue-in-cheek maybe? I do like to present myself as decidedly not needy; most of us do, and that’s one reason we struggle with actually being real with each other, but that’s another post for another day.)

In conversation with a friend recently, I was reminded of one of the reasons why it’s so important for us to remember, not just mentally and to ourselves, but with each other as well. I’ve primarily approached it from the perspective of a first-hand experience: it’s important for me to tell you how God has cared for me, because verbalizing that experience helps cement it in my memory so I can remind myself the next time I’m struggling. At least as important as that is the second-hand experience though: it’s important for me to hear how God has cared for you, so that when I can’t see His providence, I can draw on those second-hand experiences. To paraphrase yet another psalm, when my eyes grow dim with searching for the Lord, your experiences help me see. We minister not only to ourselves, both current and future, when we recount the deeds of the Lord, but we also minister to those around us, by doing so.

Need a reminder of how the Lord cares for His people, whether providentially in what He gives them, or protectively in what He keeps from them? Let me know. I’ll tell you how I saw the Lord’s providence and protection even this week.