“I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.”

God is trustworthy. He is able and will faithfully keep his word. The psalmist especially praises God’s love and faithfulness in his covenant with David, the ancient king of Israel. God’s covenant with David would never fail. “You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.”

But, when the psalmist wrote this psalm the ancient nation of Israel was in ruins. There was no Davidic king on the throne in Jerusalem. A king from the lineage of David would never rule again. “You have renounced the covenant with your servant and have defiled his crown in the dust. O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David?” There was no answer to the psalmist’s question, “How long, O LORD?” There was only the memory of the past glory of David and the memory of God’s covenant. Only the memory!

Difficult times and tragic events can leave a Christian’s life in ruins. All the promise and hope of God’s love and faithfulness are no where to be found, not now. The cliches are empty words. “God has a plan for your life.” “There is a purpose for everything.” “God is going to prosper you, just believe.” In this life things do not always work out for even the most faithful of saints. As in the time of the psalmist for many suffering believers there is no evidence of the love and faithfulness of God. There is only the memory of past blessings, of past promise and hope.

Only the memory! It is the memory that stirs faith and perseverance in the suffering believer’s heart. God’s love and faithfulness had not failed and deserted David. God’s faithfulness to the covenant with David was yet to be fulfilled in its most glorious way, the coming of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:29-36).

The memory of Jesus Christ on the cross, the most costly, unselfish, and powerful expression of God’s love and faithfulness. The memory of the resurrected and enthroned Son of God, the assurance of salvation. The suffering saint surveys the ruins around him. Where is the love and faithfulness of God. He remembers. Faith stirs in his heart. He perseveres. He lives in times of abundance and in times of poverty and pain with confidence that the richest blessings are yet to come in their fulness in the new heavens and the new earth.

“I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.”