God.

Everyone in the story is dead.

Abraham. Isaac. Jacob. Joseph. Moses. Aaron. And countless kings who support and opposed them. And countless women, unnamed here, but mentioned elsewhere. Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Shiphrah, Puah, Miriam, Zipporah.

All of them lived and died.

Worried and wondered and worked.

And heard from you.

When the people returned from exile and sang this song,
when they told each other to remember your miracles and your works and your wonders,
they knew their own daily story, but they wanted to remember yours.

• To remember that your promises to Abraham still gave them hope and a future.
• To remember that, unlike investment firm commercials, your past performance is part of the guarantee of future promises.
• To remember that the death of the one receiving a promise doesn’t end the promise as long as the promiser is still around. At least when the promise is for all future generations.

Help us in today’s crisis to know that you are here with us now and that you have been always.

Amen.

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A reflection on Psalm 105.