In today’s liturgical reading, we come across Psalm 92.
Here’s Psalm 92:1-5 (CSB):
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
to declare your faithful love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
with a ten-stringed harp
and the music of a lyre.
For you have made me rejoice, LORD,
by what you have done;
I will shout for joy
because of the works of your hands.
How magnificent are your works, LORD,
how profound your thoughts!
The Psalmist sees a connection between recognizing what God has done and shouting for joy.
So, if I want more joy in my life, then I need to recognize and appreciate all that God has done for me.
As I meditate on these verses, the easiest starting place is the biggest: the magnificence of God’s works.
Today, during a break at work, I watched a video of a photography expedition to document the stunning beauty of polar bears. These amazing creatures survive in the Arctic, with a stunning capacity to hunt seals, swim in blindingly cold water, and camouflage themselves even atop sea ice.
Later, I talked with a friend, and we marveled that potentially more than a hundred billion humans have lived - and God loved each of them. It’s staggering.
To say that God’s thoughts are profound is to understate the case.
More personally, I am grateful that after the severe downturn I took after the spiritual abuse at RZIM, God has restored my faith in his existence - and his goodness. It’s a recovery that I used to think would be impossible - that I would be internally incapacitated for the rest of my life.
I’d love to be encouraged by your experiences!
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What has God done for you?
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What motivates you to shout with joy?
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How do you recognize God’s works in your daily life?