“Whoops”

Meditation – Friday, May 23, 2025

Psalm 106 (Forward, p. 25) CEV p. 621

The catalogue of sins that our psalmist lists today could well be said of many generations of those who ‘supposedly’ are God’s friends and family, God’s people:

-they paid no attention to your marvellous deeds

-they soon forgot what you had done

-they rejected your advice and did not wait for your counsel

-they became greedy

-they put God to the test

-they made and worshipped idols instead of you

-they disobeyed you and were determined to rebel

It is quite interesting, and informative, what one translation says in verse 15, “He gave them would they asked, and but sent leanness into their soul.” I would suggest that this has indeed happened with much of this generation. God has given us much of what we want in terms of possessions, position, and pleasures, but they have not made us happy. We are still empty and restless where it counts the most, namely, in our innermost beings.

And so, we desperately need to return to God, to ‘consider His marvellous works and the abundance of His love’, to sing His praises, to heed His word and His instructions, and to obey Him once again. We need to dispense with our idols and all that usurps His rightful place as the objects of our affections and enthrone Him as Lord and King, that is, to the position where He rightfully belongs.

Forward notes: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting; and let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Hallelujah!” (verse 48).

“Several years ago, I visited a salt mine in a small town outside of Krakow, Poland. On the surface, it looked like any other mine-turned-museum. I had been on a tour of a mine before, and aside from the fact that we were told we could lick the walls to taste the salt if we wanted to (I did not), it initially seemed unremarkable.

“Our guide took us into a darkened chamber. He waited until we were all gathered inside before turning on the lights. Deep underground, we saw a stunning cathedral carved entirely out of salt. It was ornate, beautiful, and completely unexpected. Over the years, miners had carved structures of immense beauty in this and other chambers. They offered up glory and praise to God with the work of their hands. From the surface, you would never know that this beauty exalting God’s magnificence existed right below your feet.”

Moving Forward: “Where have you seen beauty in unexpected places? Share with us at #ForwardDaybyDay.”