Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.
Psalm 30:4 (KJV)
When was the last time you stopped and rehearsed the most pleasure-filled moments—the most happy and contented flashes—the most exuberant joyful explosions—from your life? You know the ones I am referring to—the ones safely locked inside your remarkable memory! Aren’t you grateful that your precious experiences—even though they were brief and passed quickly from your life—are forever preserved in cherished memories so that you can bring them up and enjoy them again and again whenever you desire?
Have you ever wondered why certain moments are more special than others? Perhaps it is because some of them actually give us fleeting glimpses of perfection. We are drawn to perfection like moths to a flame and God’s holiness is, in essence, absolute perfection. His absolute moral and ethical purity sets Him apart from every other being in the universe. Beauty of this kind is pressed into our consciousness for all time.
The French statesman, Jean de Boufflers (1738-1815, Paris) wrote, “Pleasure is the flower that passes; remembrance, the lasting perfume.” Here is a little whiff of the pleasant lasting perfume God has imparted to me:
- Singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in my favorite spot as a young girl
- Seeing the lights of the San Fernando Valley in California for the first time
- Floating down the aisle after our wedding arm in arm
- Giving birth to our two beautiful baby boys
Along with these very personal moments—there are also precious memories of my growing, maturing relationship with God:
- God entrusting me with the role of a pastor’s wife
- God giving me a truly complementary marital relationship
- God opening doors for me that I never expected
And so much more…
David’s exuberant thankfulness is expansive, so in this Psalm he invites us to join his song, since he is sure there are others who share similar experiences with holiness. I can attest to my own memories of holiness—God’s manifest beauty of perfection. On difficult days, it is extremely helpful to recall from my memory fragrant whiffs of perfume to enjoy whenever I choose to remember them.
*Notes from The Complete Biblical Library, part 1, a 16-volume study series on the New Testament. Volume 5: STUDY BIBLE, JOHN. World copyright 1986 by Thoralf Gilbrant and Tor Inge Gilbrant