Memories are tricky, malleable things. We remember events based, in part, on where we stand now. Looking back at times that were filled with anxiety about where to take my next step, with hindsight I can see now that God was obviously leading me. At the time, God’s leading was anything but obvious.
The Exodus of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt was an incredibly perilous adventure. They trudged through the desert and they endured brutal struggles to gain a foothold in the land of Canaan. At almost every step along the way, the people were filled with doubt and fear, as well as anger and reproach at Moses who led them through the Exodus. The tribes of Israel fought against each other; keeping them together as a united military force was a constant struggle. It wasn’t pretty.
And yet, looking back at the Exodus and the conquest of the Promised Land, the Psalmist says that the obstacles to Israel’s conquest fled miraculously:
The sea beheld and fled; Jordan turned and went back.
The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
(Psalm 114:3-4)
People sometimes treat the miracle stories of the Bible as though they were bullet points on God’s resume. You can imagine the list:
•Proficient in Microsoft Office
•Caused Red Sea to part and Jordan River to reverse its flow
•Made water flow from rock
•Proven team builder
But the miracles the Psalmist remembers are not proof of God’s greatness or demonstrations to make people believe. They are memories of Israel, acknowledging that they could never have escaped Egypt or crossed the Jordan and inhabited the Promised Land unless God had made it possible.
When we look back at how we got through troubled times, we bless God as we recall how obstacles that loomed like mountains in our paths vanished like little lambs scampering away. Those memories strengthen us and bolster our hope when we face the raging river before us today.
Prayer: O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come; remind us of your great faithfulness in bringing us thus far, and grant us faith to walk with you today without fear. Amen.