Psalm 25:1-10 (CEV)

I offer you my heart, Lord God,
    and I trust you.
   Don’t make me ashamed
   or let enemies defeat me.
Don’t disappoint any
   of your worshipers,
   but disappoint all
   deceitful liars.
Show me your paths
   and teach me to follow;
    guide me by your truth
   and instruct me.
You keep me safe,
   and I always trust you.
Please, Lord, remember,
   you have always
   been patient and kind.
Forget each wrong I did
   when I was young.
   Show how truly kind you are
   and remember me.
You are honest and merciful,
   and you teach sinners
   how to follow your path.
You lead humble people
to do what is right
   and to stay on your path.
In everything you do,
   you are kind and faithful
   to everyone who keeps
   our agreement with you.

The Passage above is part of the Sunday reading from the Revised Lectionary.  It can be helpful to have a rhythm that helps us walk along our journey with God. Instead of just opening the Bible and dropping a finger the Lectionary gives guided reading for each day if you desire.  This guide is helpful in direction and recalling.  

We really don’t have an issue recalling something.  Of course we can forget a name of someone, the place we put our keys, the name of our favorite movie.  But when it comes to wrongs done toward us and the wrongs that we have committed we often struggle to move beyond them.  They creep into our minds and hearts as we are falling asleep.  We play the day over and over again in our heads and wonder how we even made it through.  We wake up anxious in the morning knowing we will be hurt and will hurt others.  That we will “not be perfect” and we dread getting up and out of bed.  “If i had only…” will whisper in our ears throughout the day reminding us that we just aren’t good enough.  

In this Psalm  David calls to God to forget each wrongdoing.  I don’t think that David doesn’t believe that God is forgiving or full of mercy.  He sings of those wonderful parts of God’s being in this Psalm.  It is almost like David is saying, “I have a hard time forgetting and if I have a hard time, it might be hard for you.  And if you remember these things, then i am in deep trouble.  Please forget.”  

But don’t just forget.  Remember me and teach me.  Remember who I am to you and teach me to remember and walk in your ways.  Remind me that  You are mercy.  Remind me that You are steadfast love.  Remind me that You are the Truth.  Remind me that You are the One who knows us completely.

We have paid street parking in Fremantle and that means there are folks who walk around making sure you have not exceeded your allotted time to park.  I have watched one of these fine people write a ticket for a car where the owner was running down the street carrying two boxes full of things begging the parking enforcement officer to have mercy.  “It just now expired!”  He did not have mercy.  Ticket issued.  

That is not God.  He is not walking around waiting for the slip up.  He is not recalling the times you have lived outside of your design.  He is not hoping to catch you.  He remembers and He forgets.  Amen.

God of mercy and love.  Teach us to remember your forgetfulness of our sins and brokenness. Teach us to remember your steadfast love and justice. Teach us to rest in our place in Christ Jesus.  Amen