Give Thanks for All He Has Done

If anything of yours has ever been lost or stolen and then found, your first reaction most likely was thankfulness. Perhaps you were relieved to be reunited with your purse, keys, or phone. However, imagine if what was eventually returned was the symbol of God’s presence, the Ark of the Covenant.

After God enabled David and his men to defeat the Philistine army, there was one more important task: they were to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The Ark was now going to be returned to its rightful home and, for this homecoming, David commits a psalm of thanks to the Lord (vv. 8–36). In this poetic song, David thanks God for the wondrous things He has done for the Israelites with His miracles, His judgments, and decrees (v. 12).

It is often easier to give thanks to the Lord for miracles than for judgments, but David reminds us that both are needed and necessary. Fast forward a few generations. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, many people thanked Him for His miracles, but His decrees about Himself made a very different impression on people. His miracles were praised, while His judgments were perceived as threatening.

Even today, we are much quicker to thank God for His miracles than for His judgments. Many people prefer gentle lies rather than hard truths. But God has called us to a life of grace and truth. David reminds his people, as well as us, that we ought to thank the Lord for all the wondrous things He has done. Both His miracles and His judgments show God’s presence in our lives. Thankfully, every day God’s Word gracefully speaks truth into your life and mine.

Pray with Us

Dr. Timothy Arens, VP and dean of Student Life, will be grateful for your prayers as he and his staff serve Moody students on our Chicago campus. Ask God to fill their ministry with love, grace, and patience on a daily basis.

BY Dr. Chris Rappazini

Dr. Chris Rappazini is Associate Professor of Pastoral Studies at Moody Bible Institute. He is the former President of the Evangelical Homiletics Society and previously served as an Associate Minister of Preaching and Teaching in Spokane, Washington. Chris and his wife, Ashley, and their children reside in Northwest Indiana.