Read: Psalm 74:1-11
Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt. (v. 2)
The historical background of this psalm is most probably the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Life has fallen apart. The psalmist pleads for God’s help.
Sometimes life falls apart for us too. Maybe you have a dread disease, as I have now. Maybe a loved one has betrayed you. Maybe you have lost a job or failed a class. Maybe you are in prison. Maybe you are in a time of despair or depression.
The psalmist knows where to turn in such a situation. He prays to his God. He reminds God of who the people are. “Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old.” We can make a similar case in prayer for we have been purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
The psalmist talks to God about the present tragedy: the sanctuary is burned (v. 7); there are no prophets. He expresses the common cry of God’s people, “How long?” This very expression indicates that he knows that sooner or later deliverance will come. So with you, friend, whatever your present heartache “this too shall pass.” No matter how difficult the present, the future is as bright as the promises of God. God will heal, if not in this life, certainly he will in the perfect world that awaits us because we have been redeemed by Christ. —Harry Buis
As you pray, place your life in God’s hands.
About the Author
The Rev. Harry Buis served as a Reformed Church in America pastor for 41 years, serving six congregations. He had a consuming passion for the Word of God, preached and written, and would take up his pen to share that passion at a moment’s notice. His enthusiasm for God and the Bible was his signature. Rev. Buis edited the Words of Hope daily devotional for twenty years, and wrote several books and numerous articles. He also taught as an adjunct at Hope College, Western Theological Seminary, and Kuyper College. He served the church in many capacities, and was elected President of General Synod of the RCA in 1980. Rev. Buis died of cancer in 2001.
