God’s Faithfulness: Gentle on my Mind

The message is evident. God is gentle on our mind.

It’s everywhere. In our world. In the past and present.

Giving thanks falls short when God is forgotten.

God’s people have a history of waning.

They remembered.

Then, they forgot.

They cried out to God.

And the cycle repeated.

God’s Blessings: Gentle on My Mind

The Lord’s blessings were gentle on their mind. Excitement pacified. Thanking God for His abundant provision went missing when life was going off without a hitch.

How could this be? He had proven His great power. His miracles. Going to endless lengths and heights to show His faithfulness. He rescued and came through for them countless times. His love surpassed anything on earth.

They soon forgot all of it. Giving thanks floundered in life’s-good-right-now moments.

Psalm 106 tells their story of forgetfulness. Inflicted with a God’s gentle-on-my-mind attitude. God’s blessings and faithfulness overflowed—thankfulness didn’t.

The writer admonishes thanks right out of the gate, “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Verse 1, ESV)

As we turn the page, the Psalmist recounts the Lord’s many works and blessings provided to the children of Israel. And their lack of thanks is scattered throughout the chapter.

God’s Provision: Gentle on My Mind

Words like this:

They did not remember the abundance.

So, they sang His praise, but they soon forgot.

They forgot God who had done great things.

And they forgot His works.

They cried out to be saved so that they could give God thanks.

On first reading, I did some finger-pointing. My thoughts weren’t gentle. For goodness sake people, get a clue of who God is and what He has done.

However, I knew the struggle was real. The cycle repeated in me. The epitome of fickle. God’s goodness strapped to my thoughts like a rocket carrying thankfulness into every nook and cranny of my life. Then the rocket fizzled.

Thankfulness was gentle on my mind.

I want the Lord to save me from something so that I can give Him thanks. I sang God’s praise last week. Yesterday. The minute things become harrowing, I soon forget to praise. To give thanks. God’s goodness and greatness is forgotten.

God’s Faithfulness: Gentle on My Mind

I go on my merry way behaving as if I sustain myself. Until the way is no longer merry. Like the Israelites, I cry out to God who has proven himself as faithful. He parts seas. The Lord causes water to flow from rocks. He faithfully leads. And He gives shelter and mana.

And more. So much more. He gives the Lamb—His Son who takes away the sin of the world.

Nonetheless, the cycle is repeated in our culture. In the end, God’s forgotten. How could this be? His faithfulness and love surpasses anything on the earth. It happens. God is remembered. Forgotten. Cried out to again.

Here’s a clue: God is good. God is great.

What can we learn from God’s people in the past as God’s people today? Perhaps part of the answer is found in another portion of the story. In Psalm 78, they established a testimony to tell the coming generations about the glorious deeds of the Lord in order to set their hope on God. To remember God was their rock.

God’s salvation is our testimony. His grace, mercy, love, and tender care witness to His goodness. His blessings are as numerous as the stars in the heavens.

Break the Cycle: Gentle on My Mind

We can break the cycle by never forgetting God’s faithfulness…never letting it be gentle on our mind.

Words like this:

So, they remembered.

Again, they remembered.

And they remembered.

Because they remembered, they gave thanks.

Featured photo by Zulmaury Saavedra on Unsplash.

Top photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash.

Middle photo by Dingzeyu Li on Unsplash.

Botton photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash.