“Listen, dear friends to God’s truth,…Stories we heard from our fathers,
counsel we learned at our Mother’s knee.
We’re not keeping this to ourselves, we’re passing it along to the next generation –
… the marvelous things he has done.” Psalms 78:1-4 (The Message)
Psalm 78 is one of those passages of the Bible that I am drawn to over and over again. It is a synopsis of the story of the Children of Israel. There are many, many life lessons tucked into 72 verses. The one that originally got me hooked was verse 41. In the New King James Version it is says this way, “Yes, again and again they tempted God. And limited the Holy One of Israel.” “Limited the Holy One of Israel”? What does that mean? How can you limit God if He really is God? You should know a couple of Bible basics to help this make sense.
- The Children of Israel were God’s special people at the time. Now, all believers are God’s special people. He calls us treasures.
- The “Holy One of Israel is God. They “limited” God by forgetting and whining, wanting things their way in their timing.
Over the years of studying the Bible I have learned that what is said in this one chapter plays out over and over and over again. The people (me/us) think they know what they need and when they need it. We also forget all that the Lord has done for us in the past. That is one of the reasons that God set up annual festivals and holidays in Biblical times. He was trying to remind the people of who He is and what He has done. Those reminders should help the people live their lives with confidence, knowing they are loved and cared for by the Almighty God. They should, but it seems we have a very short memory, very short. So the Bible tells us over and over again, “forget not”. God told them to set stones, put His Word in our hearts, and tell our stories. That is what I have been thinking about for the past few days. I am thinking it would help us if we would simply do as the Bible tells us. Tell our stories.
This interruption in our lives called Covid-19 has effected all of us in some way. The biggest notable thing is more physical distance from your people whoever they are. That means more time to be in your own head. Thinking and thinking, wondering and worrying without the direct input from those you love and trust. This is a prime time to remember who God is and what He has done in your life and the life of those you know and love. So we, friends of Treasure Chest Ministries are going to be sharing stories of God in our lives for awhile. The purpose is to be obedient to God’s Word and give you courage. Remind you that God is real and a part of our every day lives.
We’d love to hear your story. Share in the comments or email us and we will share it for you.
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