Asaph touched upon one of the most important features of a godly life: engaging in a regular habit of recounting the many kind acts God has done for him.
Let me briefly approach this great truth from a negative standpoint first. To forget what God has done for you not only fosters a spirit of ingratitude, but it also diminishes a person’s faith. What is faith if it isn’t the awareness of God’s involvement in our daily lives? Those who do not take the time or make the effort to consider what the Lord has done for them in the past will usually not have the faith to believe what He can do for them today or in the future.
This was one of the monumental mistakes the children of Israel made in the wilderness. They constantly lived in the circumstances of the Now.When things looked difficult, rather than recounting the awesome things the Lord had done to rescue them from Egypt and provide for them in the wilderness, they would panic and complain. In fact, in the very next psalm Asaph pointed out that the Hebrews “forgot His deeds and His miracles that He had shown them.” (Psalm 78:11)
But let’s consider this passage from a positive perspective. When you take the time to really meditate upon the things God has done for you in the past, you are opening the eyes of your heart to His involvement in your life. This is one of the most powerful tools a believer has at his disposal to expand his faith. Furthermore, thanking the Lord for all of these many acts of kindness is one of the key ways you have to express your love to Him. What better way to express one’s love to the Lord than recognizing His goodness and thanking Him for all He has done?
On a more practical note, I would suggest that you mentally (or on paper) categorize what God has done for you. Perhaps it would do you well to sit down right now and spend at least ten minutes thinking about your life before you came to Christ. Do you remember the sense of being lost? Do you remember the misery and hopelessness that was your daily lot? Have you ever really thought through all that the Holy Spirit must have done to steer you toward the things of God? And then there is all He has done since you became a believer! Surely these are all subjects worthy of consideration.