One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

Psalms 105 and 106 are basically Psalms that are both about the same thing.  They both recall the history of Israel, particularly its exodus from Egypt.  Yet, the way they tell the stories is very different.  Psalm 105 places the emphasis on God's faithfulness.  As I read the Psalm, I thought to myself: "This is a pretty sanitized version of the Exodus.  You would have no idea that the people of Israel spent most of their trip to the Promised Land in rebellion."  I did not have that thought as I read Psalm 106.  There I wondered why God was even faithful to Israel as I read about their sins.  Two stories concerning the same event are told in very different ways.  In some ways, I wonder if this isn't the story of our lives in Christ.  Told from one perspective, our lives are really histories of rebellion, disobedience, and sin.  Certainly none of us lives the Christian ideal and there are probably times we wonder why God doesn't abandon us.  Yet, from another perspective, sin isn't present in our stories.  Our lives are really testimonies to grace and God's goodness.  In Christ, our biographies are narratives of God's mercy and faithfulness with no need for the discussion of our failings.  I find the contrast between these Psalms to be encouraging.  While I see my life more from a Psalm 106 perspective, it is good to know that in the grace given by Jesus my story can also be told as Psalm 105.