God did that! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Psalm 66:5,

"Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!"

The psalmist observes the awesome works of God and now invites us to
do so as well. He looks to the wonderful deeds of the Lord as captured
in his dealings with the nation of Israel. The great exodus of Israel
from Egypt is recalled: Israel's escape through the miraculous parting
of the Red Sea by God.

We all have need to recall the awesome works the Lord has done on our
behalf. All of us can certainly look back to the suffering endured by
our Lord on the cross to take the punishment for our own sins. Each of
us can certainly look to the wonderful invitation the Lord has
extended us to join him at his table in the resurrection. All who have
placed their faith in the Lord can recall these kinds of things.
Perhaps there are personal things the Lord has done just for you. A
time of need when the Lord provided, a nudge of encouragement when
things looked down and so forth. These are the recollections that
should form the basis for our worship of God, just as they were for
the psalmist.

There are some things we should acknowledge that have come from the
Lord that we fail to appreciate. When the Lord tests us and tries us,
we sometimes mistakenly conclude that not just their origin but the
purpose and outcome to come from the devil or the world, when in
reality the Lord uses these very things to teach us, to grow us, to
draw us near him. We all have need to be reminded of the Lord's
wonderful work in our lives, including the painful. The psalmist
observes, "For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You
brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride
over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to
a place of abundance." Verses 10-12.

Just as the psalmist recalls the hardships the Lord brought into their
lives, some passages come to mind that impact us today in a similar
way. Peter tells us, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a
little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which
perishes even though refined by fire —may be proved genuine and may
result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1
Peter 1:6-7. The Lord brings suffering with an intended purpose, a
purpose for our good. Another passage, "We know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. What kinds of things are these
"all things"? Paul tells us in verse 35, "trouble or hardship or
persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword." Romans 8:35.
What is the purpose of it? In verse 29 he tells us "those God foreknew
he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

Many are the wonderful things the Lord has done, his "awesome... works
in man's behalf". There are those things we have desire for as well as
the needful things we may not look forward to but are needful
nonetheless. God does wonderful things for us! Lets recall these
things, celebrate them and allow them to form the basis of our worship
of him.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com