“I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.”
Psalm 78:2-4
For generations the people of God did not have His Word written down. What they had were stories and memorized accounts passed along from one generation to the next. Now that we can go back and review books like Genesis and Exodus we can see how the stories, even with their many intricate details, could have been told and retold over campfires, on journeys and around dinner tables over and over again.
Once Moses wrote down the Torah – the first five books of the Bible – the official accounts were established and were read by scribes and teachers of the law in each local synagogue and at the tabernacle (and later the temple). Imagine the joy when a synagogue was established enough to have its own Torah scroll! Consider how precious the words of God were to those local gatherings of God-fearing Jews!
The Jews also began to write and collect songs, many of which were preserved in the book of Psalms, like Psalm 78 above. The theme song for our sports camp this summer was Rend Collective’s “King of Me.” If you listen to that song once you will experience how God’s people could share and remember songs for hundreds, even thousands of years. Look at the chorus of this powerful, memorable song:
“My God’s the king of the giants. My God’s the king of the lions. My God’s the king of the creatures of the deep. My God’s the king of me.”
The verses expound on the three miracle stories referenced in each of those lines: how God empowered young David to defeat the giant, Goliath; how God saved young Daniel from a cave full of hungry lions; and how God turned rebellious Jonah back around in the belly of a great fish (or more likely, sea monster). I have adapted these Bible stories to my own situation recently, and encourage you to do the same.
“My God’s the king of the tumors. My God’s the king of the cancer. My God’s the king of the things I cannot see. My God’s the king of me.”
Remember, meditate on and share the stories of God’s faithfulness and deliverance in Scripture and in your own life. This Sunday (8/17/25) we will open the floor for people to share how God has been working in your life recently. You can prepare a written account if you’d like or just share from your heart. You might find a verse or two from Scripture that the Lord has used to encourage you recently and build your story around those verses.
A passage that I have loved for years and often shared with church members in crisis is Psalm 27.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. When evildoers [like microscopic cancer cells] assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.”
Psalm 27:1-6
Did you notice which body part will be lifted up above its enemies? “MY HEAD.” I’m sure David meant that figuratively to represent his status, reputation and role as king in Israel. But the Lord encourages me through those words that He is concerned about my literal head and all the various cells inside of it.
Whatever struggles you are facing, whatever is attacking you right now, take refuge in the goodness, power and faithfulness of God – and stand firm in Him. If you missed Andrew’s message from Romans 8 last week (8/10/25) you’d be very encouraged to go back and listen / watch. Though we groan in this dark and broken world, we do not groan alone, but the Holy Spirit joins us in our desperate prayers and so do our brothers and sisters who are praying and waiting for the revelation of glory that the Lord has in store for us and the whole world!
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Romans 8:18-25