Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. (Psalm 105:1-4)
Today’s Thirsty Thursday post is a reflection on Psalm 105 from Justin Bessert, a member of The Living Well community in Kalamazoo.
“Click to like.” “Tap to share.” Commands like these are commonplace. We see them on most websites we visit, videos we watch or podcasts we listen to. In an age where content creators are vying for our attention, every repost and share is important. But how does that relate to God’s story?
Today we are looking at Psalm 105. Commentators believe King David wrote this Psalm, as large portions of it are quoted in 1 Chronicles 16:8-22. In the first two verses, David twice commands his listeners to tell about God’s work. “Make known among the nations what he has done,” and “tell of all his wonderful acts” (Ps 105:1-2), writes the man after God’s heart. David continues, “Remember the wonders he has done.” (105:5a)
The remainder of the Psalm is a recounting of Israel’s history. Beginning with Abraham and continuing through the exodus from Egypt, David retells what God did to provide for his people. If he were writing today David might end with, “Don’t forget to share this with your friends on social media!”
Centuries later, Jesus gives a similar command to a man he healed. One of my favorite gospel passages is Luke 8:26-39. Jesus casts out a legion (the word for a unit of 3,000 to 6,000 Roman soldiers) of demons from a man. These demons had overpowered this man so much that he could not even be chained, and spent his time alone among the tombs. After Jesus heals and frees him, the man begs to follow Jesus. Instead Jesus tells him, “‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you’” (8:39).
Like the ancient Israelites and the healed man, we have stories to tell of God’s work in our lives. Part of our mission statement at The Living Well Church says we find real life in Jesus Christ and share the life with those around us. We can and must tell others what God has done for us!
Have you seen a broken relationship restored? Have you experienced forgiveness? Has God healed you from a physical ailment? Share the life! This week look for where God is working. Tell someone about it. Tell me! I’d be glad to hear it if you can’t find anyone else! Know that God has been and will continue to be working. Always stay thirsty for him!
Justin Bessert
Thirsty Thursday- Psalm 105

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