Ps 33:18-22 reminds us that the Lord’s eyes are on those who fear Him and hope in His steadfast love. The whole psalm is a powerful reminder of all that God has done for us and acts as a spur to praise (going back to basics, so to speak, in looking at God’s hand in creation, for example.) These reminders act as signposts to us, reflecting back how God has always been there on hand, even during those times in our journeys when perhaps He could not easily be seen. “As we look back into the events of our past, we will see, strung out like bright waymarks, the times and places when we have been aware of God’s presence, when we have witnessed God’s saving action in the world, and when we have been reassured of His love for us.” (“Sharing The Easter Story”, P 82) These waymarks help us in the times when perhaps God’s ways and presence don’t seem so evident. Oliver Goldsmith describes hope as being like ‘the gleaming taper’s light’, and it’s true that hope does not always seem to shine particularly brightly. But its very presence enables us to keep going on life’s journey. Every signpost, every reminder of God’s help and interest in mankind, needs to be cherished as we keep moving forward towards our pilgrim’s destination.
