I remember the old times

Psalm 143: 5, ⁵ I remember the days of long ago;
    I meditate on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.

1.David: After David became king, he brought the ark of the covenant to the city of David. When the ark reached the city, they offered sacrifices to the Lord to honor Him. 2 Samuel 6:14,¹⁴ Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might,¹⁵ while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. Michal, the daughter of Saul saw all this from a window. 2 Samuel 6:16,  And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. When David had placed the ark inside the tent pitched specially for it, David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. Being a benevolent king, 2 Samuel 6:18-19, ¹⁸ After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. ¹⁹ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes. David returned to the palace. He wanted to bless his household. Michal on the other hand despised him and ridiculed him for dancing half naked. David remembered his old days, from the day he was a shepherd boy to his being anointed the king. Since Michal had ridiculed the Lord in ridiculing David for his adoration and love of the Lord. The Lord punished her, 2 Samuel 6:23 ²³ And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

David was the youngest son of Jesse. The eldest three were part of Saul’s army. The young boy David was a shepherd. Yet, the Lord chose young David to slay the giant Goliath. When Michal ridiculed David, he remembered his old days till the time of him being a king. 2 Samuel 6:22, ² I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

Psalms 138:3, ³ When I called, you answered me;
    you greatly emboldened me.

2. Joseph: Joseph was hated by his elder brothers for being the beloved of their father. They threw him into a dry well and later sold him to Egyptians as a slave. In all these actions, the grace of the Lord was working in protecting him and leading him to future glory. Joseph had reached Egypt as a slave. The Lord brought him to the position of second in command after the Pharaoh. It is to be noticed that the Pharaoh got Joseph married. Genesis 41:45, ⁴⁵ Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt. Joseph had two sons. When we read the Bible we see how he gives glory to the Lord. Genesis 41: 51-52, Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” ⁵² The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

David and Joseph did not forget the grace they received from the Lord. Instead it became the reason for them to be blessed with more abundance and glory.

Parents today find satisfaction in giving in all the available luxuries to their children. In the rush to give them all facilities and luxuries, parents often forget to tell their children about the hardships they faced in their lives to reach where they are, and the hand of God which always guided and protected them and blessed them. The result is that today’s generation in the journey of life are not able to face the hardships and sacrifices that life throws at them. They often fall down. They do not experience the hand of God in their lives. Isn’t this a serious matter, just think???? The people of Israel forgot what the Lord had done for them and started to crib about everything in sight. The result was that their words and actions angered the Lord and they were punished. Let us not make our children forget the several blessings and graces that we receive from the Lord daily.

Deuteronomy 11:19,¹⁹ Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Psalm 138:5, ⁵ May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for the glory of the Lord is great.

Let us all follow the steps of our forefather David and not forget the time gone by. The life of Joseph should always be before us as an example that in the midst of trials and tribulations we can trust and have faith in the Lord to draw us out of it.

Amen.