Music Monday: “Communion” by Brooke Ligertwood
by: Debbie Waltz
If you’ve been following me over the past few weeks, you know I’ve been doing a Bible study emphasizing God’s unwavering faithfulness toward his “Chosen” people. Throughout last week’s sessions, we explored Israel’s growing forgetfulness after they departed from slavery in Egypt and how it caused them to shift their focus from God’s promises to their own circumstances. Because of their disobedience, Israel and most of their descendants wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Through it all, the Lord remained faithful to his promises. He tirelessly provided for his children, never losing hope that they would one day find their way back to him.
With fervor, Moses delivers his final speech, urging Israel to remember their experiences, to share them with future generations, and to maintain an unshakable faith. Deuteronomy 4:9-10 says, “Only be careful, and watch yourself closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children into your children after them. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, ‘Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”
He then reminds they are not responsible for making it to the promised land; only God is. Moses writes in verses 18- 22: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord reading you from there. This is why I command you to do this. When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so the Lord may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over to the branches for a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. This is why command you to do this.”
We may not want to admit it, but sometimes, we can behave just like the Israelites. We tend to forget God and start believing we are responsible for our health and prosperity. That’s why the act of remembering is so important–then and now. We must never lose sight of how God provides for us on a daily basis. Or how God gave HIS ONLY SON as a living sacrifice to redeem us. Communion not only allows us to reflect on how God has been faithful to us in the past, but it gives us a chance to re-examine ourselves and our relationship with Jesus. This quarterly reminder shifts the focus from ourselves to him.
You can listen to Brooke Ligertwood’s song here: