God, Please Remember!

 

Psalm 74:18 Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs,
    and a foolish people reviles your name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts;
    do not forget the life of your poor forever.
20 Have regard for the covenant,
    for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21 Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame;
    let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Arise, O God, defend your cause;
    remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes,
    the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!

As Asaph writes this Psalm it is obviously addressed to the Lord, but it is really a reminder to His people. At present, the Holy City was under attack, fear spread throughout the land, and the place seemed anything but holy.  As he cries out for deliverence, he reminds God, himself, and his people of what God had done in the past: creation, the Exodus, and defeating all their foes in the past. He then asks God to arise to defend His cause, His name, His people, and His city.  Rather than crying out: "Woe is me!", he understands that what is of utmost concern is how people view and respond to God. 

Footnotes