Remembering the character of God and the wonderful things he has done moves us to praise and thank our great God for who he is and what he has done. This series of devotions have been written by Sarah Condie to encourage you to ponder the loving deeds of the Lord, so that songs of joy and thankfulness bubble forth from within you. Some devotions will focus on small but significant habits, while others will focus on the character of God.
At the end of each devotion and prayer, Sarah has provided a link to a song. Everyone’s taste in music is unique, so please, if you don’t like her choices, choose songs that you love.
Let the one who is wise heed these things
and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.
Reflection:
Towards the end of the pandemic, I decided I needed help with being thankful to the Lord. I was struck by this verse and the encouragement to ‘ponder the loving deeds of the Lord,’ as I hadn’t done that in a while. Psalm 107 gave me a framework to figure out how to bring about such a significant change.
At the time, I was stressed and emotionally wrung out. If I thought about how I felt, the word I used most was ‘blah’. And to be honest, I didn’t really feel anything at all — just empty. It’s hard to be thankful when you are empty. My prayer to God was little more than an ‘arrow’ prayer:
‘Satisfy me in the morning with your unfailing love,
That I may sing for joy and be glad all my days.’
Psalm 90:14 (paraphrase)
I wanted to sing these songs but felt I had little voice; if I tried to sing, the tune was bland and monotonous.
But the Lord answered my prayer. In this series of devotions, I will share with you some of the things that helped change my ‘blah and emptiness’ into ‘songs of joy and gladness.’ Most of these suggestions are small, but they brought change.
The first step for me was to follow the Psalmist’s example by turning my mind to the work of God. So, today, my encouragement to you is to ‘ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.’ Take the time to remember God’s mighty and gracious work, especially your own salvation story.
Slowly read Psalm 107, filled with stories of God’s rescue and notice the repeated encouragement to give thanks. Note too that first, God’s people needed to remember. To remember, you need to slow down and ponder; you need to let your mind recall the wonderful deeds of the Lord.
‘Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.’
Psalm 107:8-9
Our Father, we give thanks to you for your unfailing love and your wonderful deeds for humankind. Thank you that you satisfy the thirsty and fill the hungry with good things.
And perhaps, as you let God’s word fill you, you may find that the feelings of ‘blah’ will lift a little and enable you to sing a song that is beautiful and melodic — full of joy and gladness.
Short prayer:
Thank you for you are good, and your love endures forever. Let us tell of your works with songs of joy today. In the name of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Song: Give Thanks – Hannah Hobbs
Spotify:
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This series of devotions was written for and first published by The Bible Society Australia.
