Rudyard Kipling's great poem, " Recessional," was penned for the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Kipling notes in this work the significance of humility in the context of remembrance. The second stanza is as follows:
The tumult and the shouting dies—
The Captains and the Kings depart—
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
The Captains and the Kings depart—
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
The sacrifice of God stands alone, calling human beings to humility and contrition. The author of Deuteronomy tells us as much in today's text as he writes,"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today." These are sobering words for a people who have been through so much, yet are tempted to tout and depend on their own strength.
We waver back and forth between moments of self-sufficiency and brokenness. How quickly we forget the deliverance of God in the midst of our successes, or perhaps, in the escalating busyness of our lives. As your Lenten journey continues, hear again these words from our text this day..."Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God."
"...Lord God of hosts,be with us yet, lest we forget--lest we forget!"
Jim Abernathy
No comments:
Post a Comment