Remember God’s Miracles
Yael Eckstein | November 27, 2022
So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done. — Psalm 143:4-5
In honor of my father, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, and his lifework helping Christians understand the Jewish roots of their faith, I offer you one of his devotional teachings from the beloved Psalms.
Have you ever experienced a miracle?
At first blush, many folks might answer no. No sea parted for us; the water of our enemies hasn’t been turned into blood. However, when we look back on our lives and dig beneath the surface, we find that miracles abound. God’s benevolent intervention in our lives is everywhere.
Did you ever lose one job only to find another, better one? Did a chance encounter with one person lead to something amazing in your life, maybe even your spouse? Have you ever received unexpected money just when you needed it?
The truth is that we have all received miracles in our lives.
In Psalm 143, David needed a miracle. He was being pursued by enemies and he felt defeat was near: “My spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.” David has already taught us in other psalms that the right thing to do in this situation is to pray.
Remember God’s Miracles
However, David introduces us to another “coping technique” in this psalm: “I remember the days of long ago, I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” David remembered the past and that gave him the strength to get through the present.
The Jewish sages explain that David would think back to the miracles that God had already done for the children of Israel — God’s miracles that would inspire him and strengthen him to carry on.
We can imagine David thinking about the Israelites as they stood sandwiched between the Egyptians and the Red Sea — and then the sea miraculously split! Or perhaps David thought about when the Israelites walked through the desert for 40 years and how God provided them with water to drink from a miraculous well and fed them with the manna that fell from the heavens each day. David might have remembered the miracle of the sun standing still for Joshua so that he could finish his battle and win the war against his enemies.
David could have been thinking about any or all of these miracles and more. They would have strengthened and inspired him to stay strong. We can model David’s example and remember God’s miracles that inspire us as well to weather those difficult circumstances.
However, we don’t need to look that far into the past to find miracles that inspire us and give us strength. We can simply look back on our own lives and observe how God has been there for us, gently guiding and steering us in the right direction, every step of the way.
Just as God has saved and helped us in the past, surely He will do so in the present and in the future!