Forget not

“Forget not” assumes something true about us: we forget. Not the injuries — those we keep in excellent condition. It is the benefits that fade: the prayer answered last spring, the provision that arrived just in time, the strength that got us through what we were sure would break us. The soul’s memory leans toward grievance, and David knows it.

So he talks to his soul — commands it, actually. Bless the LORD, O my soul. He does not wait to feel grateful; he directs himself into gratitude by deliberate remembering. The rest of the psalm is exactly that: a list. Forgiveness, healing, redemption, crowning mercies, satisfied years. He walks his soul down the inventory.

It is a practice worth stealing this morning. Two minutes, honestly kept: what has He actually done — this year, this month, this week? Write three down if you can. A remembered benefit does more for the day ahead than an hour of resolve.