Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
This section of Scripture is affectionately called David's Song of Thanks. Giving thanks is a practice that is incredibly important for each one of us. When we fill our minds and our hearts with gratitude, it helps us to appreciate what we're experiencing right now—and what we've experienced in the past—so that the things that we're longing for or we're hoping to see happen are substantiated. We're reminded that God does His beautiful work and has done it many times, and I see His work unfolding before me. I've seen it in the past, and it helps me to think that He's going to do it again in the future.
Why Giving Thanks Matters
When I think about this particular passage, it's really important for us to see that giving thanks for His good works and His greatness is essential. It's because we need to remember the things that happen that are truly good in our lives come from God. When we remember this, it helps us to focus our attention and our efforts, not on posturing and trying to be something so that other people can see how impressive we are, or putting it all on ourselves to will ourselves to the things that are important in the world for us to be able to do in our own strength. It causes us to be dependent on the resource and the power that comes from God alone.
Standing in Awe of God's Deeds
When I think about this passage, it reminds me of another one in the book of Habakkuk. This passage makes me think about the importance of remembering what God has done. In Habakkuk chapter 3, verses 2 and 3 it says, "LORD, I've heard of Your fame. I stand in awe of Your deeds. Renew them in our time." In other words, we've seen God do amazing things and His fame is spread amongst the people all around the world. Our role here on earth is to join Him in His Kingdom work. The fame and the renown of what God has done fills our hearts with hope.
When we hear stories of what God did for people way back in the day, in the time of Scripture, but also the stories of hope of what God has done for your neighbors and the people that you attend church with, as we listen to the radio and hear these stories of how people found freedom from addiction and found hope in their lives and in their future, these deeds God has done cause hope to rise in our hearts and we stand in awe of those deeds.
Hope for Today
Our hope is that God will continue to do it again, and again, and again. Did I say again and again? We know that God is full of power—God is full of miracle-working wonders—and these are stories that we've heard, so we can anticipate that the same power from the same God can show up in our situation, too.
I don't know where you're at today, but we're going to give thanks for what God has done, and we're going to hope together that He'll do it again.
