Thank the Lord for His Wondrous Works!

Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! (Psalm 107:8)

God's people are to regularly consider what God has done for them. This involves more than a casual thought but demands sustained, intelligent reflection. We usually give a lot of thought to those things that we value and that have captured the affections of our hearts. Worldly people love to consider and to talk about what captures their hearts. A person who loves sports will spend hours thinking about the games. We even have entire television stations devoted to nothing but sports – talking and analyzing all of the players, coaches, games, and strategies! The people of God love Him and all of His works, so it is quite natural for them to spend time thinking and talking about what God has done in salvation. Indeed, it would seem strange for God’s people not to do this. One of the reasons we assemble together is to consider God and all His works, especially His great salvation. There is surely something wrong when those who call themselves the people of God prefer sports or other worldly pursuits above the consideration of God and His works.

Christian faith is not like a philosophical or speculative religion. Faith is not based on theories or personal feelings and experiences. We know that God has acted in history. Our faith is based on facts—certain things that have actually happened—and we are to reflect and reason on what God has done in the past. I am not saying that God does not work today. There is a kind of Christianity that thinks only of what God has done in the past, as if He is no longer working. We do not consider the works of God in the past simply as we would consider a history lesson in school about some famous monarch or great battle. We consider God’s works in the past so we can think properly now about life and have hope for the future as well. We have been given the record of the Scriptures so we might have hope. God does not change so we can trust Him and have hope. Faith reasons that if God has worked in the past to deliver His people, then we know He will do the same today.

In what God has done for His people we see His great love for His people. God's love is not just a feeling of affection but is demonstrated in acts of kindness. God is good to His people, which means He acts with their best interests in mind. This does not mean the people of God will be spared from all hardship. The Lord has our ultimate good in mind and is working all things together for our glorification. In this world we will have tribulation. But even these tribulations are working for our ultimate glory. The glory far outweighs the tribulation. No tribulation in this world can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus! We do not deserve the Lord's love and kindness. He loves us because of His own grace, not because of what we have done. He actually loves us in spite of what we have done! We know His love by what He has done to redeem us. The Gospel reveals the love of God, which was demonstrated in Christ and His Cross. We know God loves us because He offered His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

We also see the love of God in how He delivers us from trouble, even when we put ourselves there by being foolish. There is no believer who has not committed a foolish sin. Even then, if we will turn to the Lord, He will deliver us. This is not to say that we will not suffer the consequences of our foolishness. But even these things the Lord can turn into opportunities for growth in wisdom. Sometimes God even sends discipline our way, but He responds to those who turn to Him. We should view hardship as the Lord’s discipline. God is teaching us, treating us as His sons, and helping us to learn holiness. The writer of Hebrews expounds this very truth:

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:7-11)

God redeems us from situations in which all human strength and wisdom is vain. He delivers us from the schemes and oppression of evil men and can cause our enemies, even though they are stronger than we are, to be at peace with us. Then we can see His great love for us!

The purpose of seeing these things is so we will say something and testify about God and His love. If you don't talk about something, or someone, then it is doubtful that you really care. We talk about what we know and what we love. God is glorified when His people can speak with insight and intelligence. We were made to praise God, which means we were made with the capacity to see and understand God and thereby to really appreciate and love Him. It would be wrong for God's people not to speak about what they have seen and heard about God. We are witnesses to the world, though the world doesn't want to hear our witness. But the faithful and true witness of godly people can help to silence the talk of the ignorant and wicked, which is greatly needed in our time. We must speak. God has chosen to make his character known through the witness of His people who have seen and experienced His love.