His wondrous works


105 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he uttered
 
I wonder how good your memory is.  Do you find it easy to remember historical dates or maths equations or chemical formulas for exams?  Or maybe you find it easier to remember song lyrics and Tiktok dances.  I think I used to have a better memory when I was younger, but honestly, I can’t remember!

In Psalm 105 the psalmist encourages us to remember.  Remember all the wondrous works that God has done.  Verse 5 of the Psalm says ‘Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered…’  Sometimes we need a reminder like this because it is easy for us to forget who God is and what He has done for us.  It’s not that we would necessarily forget all about Him or forget His existence entirely, but we easily forget the hard times He has brought us through, forget to trust Him, forget about His miracles and blessings, and forget things about His character (like His sovereignty and faithfulness). 

And we are not alone in our forgetfulness.  Despite seeing God very visibly and powerfully send plagues upon Egypt, rescue them from slavery and literally part a sea in front of their eyes, the Israelites very quickly forgot God’s ‘wondrous works’ and fell back into the same routine of worrying about the future and doubting God’s power and provision.  Despite seeing Jesus heal countless people and perform many miracles, it seems almost like the disciples forgot these ‘wondrous works’ when they panicked about being caught up in a storm while Jesus slept in the boat.

I wonder how often you and I forget God’s wondrous works?  How often, especially in the middle of lockdown, do we focus on our worries and anxieties and fears?  How often do we get downhearted and loose hope for the future?  Do we take enough time in our day-to-day lives to remember God’s character?  To remind ourselves that no matter what the situation, God is in control; no matter how hopeless we feel about a solution, God is able to do immeasurably more than we can imagine; and that no matter how bad things seem, God has sustained us before and He will do it again!

Here are some practical ways to remember God’s goodness: why not keep a prayer journal where you write down what you are praying for each day?  Then at the end of the month you can go back and read over your prayers and thank God for how He has answered them.  This is a great way of remembering the ‘wondrous works’ that God has done in your life!  Also keep reading the Bible- God’s word!  It is full of stories and truths and promises that remind us of God’s character and how faithful He has been since the beginning of time!  Maybe each morning you could write down a few things that you are grateful for that day, to remind yourself of God’s goodness and blessings.  Finally, you could take seriously the other command we find in this Psalm which is to ‘make known His deeds among the peoples’ (v1) and ‘tell of all his wondrous works’ (v2).  When we remember who God is and all that He has done and continues to do, we should be filled with thankfulness.  And when we are thankful for someone, it is our joy to tell others!  Why not tell someone in your family about the goodness of God, or text a friend who isn’t a Christian to let them know what God has done in your life, or use your social media platform to spread the good news of the gospel? 

Let’s make a conscious effort this week to both ‘remember’ and ‘tell’!
 

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