Let Your Light Shine Day 10

Sing praise to the LORD, you faithful;

give thanks to his holy memory. For his anger lasts but a moment; his favor a lifetime. At dusk weeping comes for the night; but at dawn there is rejoicing. Psalm 30: 5-6

So many questions are being asked about how long this pandemic will last. Other people say, this is the “new normal.” It is hard for me to accept such extreme restrictions in my every day, coming-and-going as “normal.” Even in the name of saving public health, this quarantine is harming so many other aspects of human life. Our mental health and general sense of well-being is chief among the casualties of this global shut down. 

However, this psalm is calling us to give thanks and praise to God, even now. We are to give thanks to his “holy memory.”  St. Augustine praises the virtue of memory in his Confessions, 

“The power of the memory is prodigious, my God. It is a vast, immeasurable sanctuary. Who can plumb its depths? And yet it is a faculty of my soul. Although it is part of my nature, I cannot understand all that I am.” 

Memories of God’s goodness to us in the past can inspire us to preserve in this current crisis. We know he has done miracles in our lives in the past, so we can believe that he will do it again. We can use our memory to help us praise God even in the midst of turmoil. 

Being thankful lifts up the spirit. I can find momentary joy when I stop and appreciate all that I do have in this quarantine, such as my nice warm bed, internet technology to do my work, the fact that I still have a job, and food on the table. I am so much more fortunate than many other people during this crisis. A daily gratitude practice can be truly helpful in difficult times.

Why? Because it helps us to remember the key idea found in this passage, “At dusk weeping comes for the night; but at dawn there is rejoicing.” These words harken to the old cliche “this too shall pass.” It doesn’t seem like this situation is getting any better. It is very easy to keep asking, “how long will this last?” But we can have unshakeable faith that one morning we will wake-up, and this will all be over. 

How? Because, in addition to the memory of God’s miracles in our lives in the past, we are also promised that “God’s favor lasts for a lifetime.” There are so many meanings of the word “favor” in Webster’s dictionary. The one most often attributed to the understanding of God’s favor towards men, is his “gracious kindness,” or better stated, God’s “unmerited kindness.” With this promise, we don’t have to do anything to earn God’s gracious kindness: he just gives it to us for a lifetime. Why? Because God is gracious and kind; that is His nature, so he must act towards us as He is. So, in this dark time, we may not be seeing it as we would like. However,  we have the promise, that even in a crisis, God is gracious and kind to us. With this promise, we can find joy in the morning. And so, I invite you to pray with me today,

“Holy Spirit, I thank you for the memory of all the times you have saved me in the past. I thank you for the many blessings that I have every day in my life now. I thank you for the eternal grace and favor that you give to my life. Help me to experience joy each morning, even in the midst of this crisis. Amen.”