Recollection

Psalm 48: 9

Lord, as we worship you in your temple, we recall over and over your kindness to us and your unending love.

Recollection is an important part of our praise. It is good for us and it is good for those around us, especially our children.

There are two forms this worship may take. First is our own internal ruminations. If we are not routinely recounting the great and wonderful things the Lord has done for us, then we are missing a chance to build our own faith. There will come a day when your faith feels like it is at low ebb. That is when the remembrance of all that Lord has done for you will buoy you up. Don’t wait until that day though, because you will find your praise bucket a bit empty and then it will be harder to pick yourself up.

This internal form of recounting the Lord’s goodness is a form of meditation. As you begin to think about the Lord’s goodness on your behalf, it may, however, break out into vocal praise and that is all good. While you remind yourself of God’s hand in your life you might also recall scriptures and promises He has made to you. Tumbling all these things together in your mind will often lead to greater revelation.

The external form of remembrance is very important too. This helps build the faith of the people around you. It is very important for families to recall God’s goodness. A child’s faith is built off of the strength of their parents faith. When you take the time to recount the Lord’s goodness to you and to the family the children get to hear faith and belief coming out of your mouth. They also learn that these words in the Bible are more than just nice words. They learn from those they trust most that these are words of life and that God really is paying attention and answering prayers.

Of course, telling of God’s goodness is not reserved for family alone. Everyone benefits from good news. Today’s verse is a good little reminder about remembering. Even though we have a written Word, there is still a place for an oral history.