“Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name; Make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. Glory in his holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad”

1 Chronicles 16:8-10

There are many reasons for us “to give thanks to the Lord” not the least of which is that today was another good day for Karen. Compared to this past Thursday when the thought of six weeks full of days like that one was too much for Karen to bare, today was an utter joy.

In the passage above the Psalmist tells us to “make known his deeds among the peoples”. It’s natural for those who are familiar with the history of how God has been saving and protecting his people throughout history for grand images to come to mind when we think of “his deeds.” The parting of the Red Sea and Esther’s rescuing of Israel from holocaust are beautiful pictures of how God extends his grace to those he loves. The chief picture of God’s great love, of course, was demonstrated when he sent his only son to suffer the indignities of the cross and ultimately to die, not for his own sins, but for those for whom he loves.

It is interesting, however, that the “deeds” of God are not restricted to those of magnificent proportions. God is at the bottom of even the smallest of events that takes place. As the Psalmist says elsewhere:

“Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I
ascend to heaven you are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold you are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
even there Thy hand will lead me and thy right hand will lay hold of me.” Psalm
139:7-10.

I imagine that for some people the idea that we are unable to escape God’s hands might sound threatening or dangerous or like our rights to autonomy are somehow being violated. But for those who God has graciously called and who rest in Christ’s work on the cross, the idea that there is no place we can go to escape from God’s hands becomes a comfort. What child would want to run from the loving arms of a protecting father?

It is remarkable to consider that all the things God has done for Karen, though seemingly small in the grand sweep of history, are in reality some of the many wonderful deeds that the Psalmist commends us to “make known … among the peoples.”

“Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad”