It’s no surprise that stories captivate us. They make a home in our hearts, impacting our lives, whether we realize it or not. And all stories, even fictional ones, have fundamental elements of reality intertwined into them. All solid stories—the noble, virtuous, and wholesome ones—are not just entertainment; they are indispensable to our lives, which is why Jesus spoke in parables and breathed to life a specific passage in Psalm 78, a Psalm that is a story in itself.
The psalmist, Asaph, wrote, “My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us” (Psalm 78:1-3, NIV). These verses point to the importance of sharing stories of our past. This command is echoed in Deuteronomy 32:7 and again in Isaiah 46:9. Our history must be remembered and studied in order to learn how to move forward from this moment in a more God-glorifying way. With all our new technologies, we cannot afford to forget our past. We must not lose sight of the beginnings, the days of old. Now, Ecclesiastes 7:10 does say it is unwise to ask ‘why were the old days better than these?’ This exemplifies the fact that none of the days since the Fall in the Garden of Eden have been completely cleansed of sin, and therefore are not a good way to determine what exactly is “better” than the current times. The Bible does speak of the days growing worse as we progress toward His return, and taking even a glance around us can surely make us feel like things were better over a hundred years ago; however, the presence of sin remains the same, as it always has.
Still, God commands us to remember the days of old—looking back at our pasts, but not being held back by them either. We do this by grasping onto any and all honorable pieces of our past—the admirable ways of simple living, the Christ-centered love displayed in those who strove for righteousness, and people’s faith, both big and small, that moved mountains. Nothing was 100% perfect, and that is expected in a broken world. But God isn’t looking for perfect; He’s looking for those who endeavor to glorify Him with everything in them, and who have a hunger for holiness, an unquenchable thirst for Him. To determine whether it is acceptable and pleasing to God or otherwise, we must lift all things, both in the past and the present, up to Scripture. God made history, and at the end of the day, history is His Story—a great catalyst to reveal Himself to humanity in new and incredible ways, and a picture of the grand and glorious plans He has to work all things for good.
Psalm 78 propels us forward with a cry; “We will not hide them [the things of old] from their [our ancestor’s] descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done” (Verse 4). Our history also speaks about the testimonies of what mind-blowing miracles Christ has accomplished. To forget His faithfulness is a dangerous thing that will make us like the Israelites, “a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to Him… they forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them…they did not remember His power—the day He redeemed them from their oppressor” (Ps. 78. 8; 11; 42). The rest of Psalm 78 recalls the many acts of the Israelites where most proved to act ungratefully toward the God who rescued them from Egypt.
1 Chronicles 16:8 (ESV) commands, “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” Our testimonies are stories, and stories, at their core, were created to be shared, not contained. God receives the glory He is so worthy of when we proclaim His goodness to the weary and aching world. Declaring that He remains faithful despite what the devil throws at us is a deliberate act of defiance against Satan. No matter the size of the testimony, each is crucial to the Kingdom of God. We must never rush past and overlook all the wonders the world deems as “coincidences,” that are sparkling like jewels in our everyday lives. Jesus deserves to be praised for every single wonder, regardless of whether people think it is “small” or “grand.”
Asaph continues in Psalm 78, “He decreed the statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which He commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children” (Verse 8). It is true that the Bible is the greatest storybook of all time, One that holds parables and laws, songs and records, prophecies and commands. Therefore, aside from knowing the Word for ourselves, we must share it like a fire spreading among the people of the world. Part of the Great Commission commands this as well. In all of today’s noises, we cannot allow ourselves to get consumed by the darkness that the world obsesses over. The Lord commands us to live every moment to glorify Him; you, child of the Most High King, are a vessel for righteousness if you live for Him. His Word is the Truth we all so desperately need. Psalm 119: 105 (ESV) reminds us, “Your Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light to my path.”
The first part of the Psalm concludes with, “they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands” (Verse 7). This passage gives us a critical understanding of how to keep His commands and glorify Him in a world of darkness. As the Psalm instructs, we must pass these honorable stories—the past, our testimonies, and His Word—to our posterity. We cannot ever let the stories fade away and crumble into the unconscious, being buried and forgotten. We remember these stories and we share them so that His glory is revealed to all.
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