Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
April 03, 2022 | Mark Piedmonte
Passage: Psalms 126:1-6
Readings and Reflection for April 3, 2022:
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:4b–14
Reflection: We all find ourselves, now and then, thinking back to our “glory days” while reminiscing with family or friends, do we not? (And of course, all our “glory days” will differ from one another depending on how old we are!) We especially like to share our memories of those former days with the youngsters among us today. (Sometimes much to their chagrin!) We do this because we believe that the blessings of our yesterdays – shared and remembered today - will somehow, some way bless the next generation and carry with them into tomorrow’s new day.
But – if we’re honest – it doesn’t always work out that way, does it? There’s a bittersweet quality to our yesterdays. Let’s face it: things change. And people change, too – everyone – even me and you. The blessings of our yesterdays don’t always make sense today or carry into tomorrow. As such, remembering our yesterdays can bring us joy as well as sorrow.
Still, the hope of our faith is always with us. And it is our hope which we can always hold onto – the hope of our yesterdays, today and tomorrow. Psalm 126 is all about the hope and blessing of yesterday, today and tomorrow. It’s a bittersweet song, first sung by the ancient Israelites, remembering the blessings of what was in the past, while standing in the moment of exile – still holding onto the hope and vision of a better and brighter tomorrow.
We feel this too, do we not? In our lives, in the life of our church, our families, our country? We live in this tension – and we live with the day- to-day hope that – even though we face much change – still, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)