November 17 – He is the Only One

“Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord.  How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count.” - Psalm 40:4-5 (NASB)

 

Many promises can be found in our verses today. One which we may not often think of as a promise because it is a result of one action is “How blessed is…”  True followers of God remember times when God has shown how great He is and how He takes care of our needs. Notice the word ‘trust’ used as a verb (in the last line of v. 3) “And will trust in the Lord.” Then the word ‘trust’ as a noun; “who has made the LORD his trust,” The verb and noun forms connote a faith of commitment in the right object, God alone. As we read our Bibles we know that God has been demonstrating His greatness and His love to people for many centuries. When the psalmist David wrote the words we read in today's verse He was thinking of what God had done already many centuries before. God has never ceased to show Himself in the same way and has done so all the time throughout the centuries. The promise we carry today is that no other person or entity can compare. Our God is the only true and living God.

 

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May 29 –Reminder to Remember

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,” Psalm 105:4-5 (NIV)

Memorial Day is a special day for remembering. We know that this day has been observed in the United States of America for more than one hundred years. It began after the Civil War and was at first called Decoration Day.  But the idea of a special day for remembering is much older than that. We know that God prescribed memorials at several times in Bible days because He did not want His people to forget what He had done for them. Our verse today is one such reminder to remember. So today when we remember other important things like those who have given their lives while serving our country in wars, let's be sure to remember also our God and the wonders He has done for us. What He has done is recorded in the Bible and is for all people. Let's think too of how He has helped us in the past. All this will help us look to the Lord as we are reminded in our verse. Remember today and every day that God is with us helping us with every step we take.  

Notes on Memorial Day in USA

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November 17 – Uncountable Wonders

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.” Psalm 40:5 (NASB) 

“As the host of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant…” Jeremiah 33:22 (NASB)

Let’s think about the times we have been outside at night looking up at the stars. Ever tried to count the ones you can see? Most of us have at least once. Men like Brahe, Kepler and Galileo in the seventeenth century gave birth to modern astronomy. Up to that point Hippocrates had said there were 1,022 stars. Ptolemy said, “No, there are 1,056.” Kepler said, “You’re both wrong.  There are 1,055.” If they had read Jeremiah 33:22 and Psalm 40:5, our verses today, they would know that the stars and other wonders of God can’t be counted. Those of us who are true followers of God can remember times when God has shown his greatness as He takes care of our needs. We know of His greatness for others who believe His words. As David wrote the words in today's verse and He was thinking of what God had done⸺already now many centuries ago. God has never ceased to show Himself in the same way and does so all the time throughout the centuries. The promise we carry today is that no other person or entity can compare to Our God, He is the only One.

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January 16 – Fail Not to Be Mindful

“They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.” Nehemiah 9:17 (ESV)

The company of people in this passage, had resisted the wonderful and miraculous acts God had done for them.  After 400 years as slaves in Egypt, God freed them and led them out from under Egyptian oppression. But the Children of Israel were stubborn, stiff-necked and rejected God’s plan. Where He might have said, “Alright then, go your way and be damned for all I care.” Or, perhaps, “I did all this for you and this is how you show thanks and appreciation to Me?” But God is not like that. God forgives graciously and shows mercy. He doesn’t lose His temper and his love toward us is unfailing. God does not forsake us when we refuse to remember what He has done to rescue us from death and eternal separation from Him. And fail to acknowledge what He does for us each day. The list of what God did for Israel is long as is the failures in response. Even when we idolize someone or something other than God, He does not forsake us in our wildernesses. Great promises should encourage us to remain faithful by the grace He gives us.  

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June 18 – Looking for Signs

“So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”  The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”  Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”  - John 4:48-50 (ESV)

This verse at first might seem to not have a promise for us. However, it does and it is an important promise for all.  Jesus is speaking to a government official; his son was ill to the point of death and he was desperate for help from Jesus. Jesus takes the occasion to point out how often a sign or evidence is demanded before someone will believe.  This father thought Jesus had to attend his son to effect healing.  But Jesus acts otherwise to heal the boy. God’s gifts do not necessarily come with signs as evidence. Belief in God and in His word is based on faith alone.  After Pentecost, when Peter and John exercise faith and bring healing to a lame man in the Name of Jesus, it was a sign God gave to authenticate Peter’s claim that the they were speaking with the authority of Jesus Christ. No one demanded the healing as a sign for evidence. It was given to manifest the power of Jesus behind the miracle.  The ones who demand ‘proof’ and without seeing evidence will not believe, they do not trust by faith alone in the promises God has given us.  

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January 1 – What Lasts Forever

“Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;”  - Psalm 136:3-5 (ESV)

What is better than something that is truly good lasting forever?  So much of the things in our life today are temporary, and will pass away, or break down.  We know nothing in our material world lasts forever.  If we are looking for something that will be with us for the next 366 days, and the 365 days after that on to the end of time and into eternity, we look to the words given us by God.  We look to his promises and his steadfast love.  This is something that truly will endure forever as our promise in today’s verses tells us. It tells us three times. Actually, if we were to read all of Psalm 136 we would find this promise repeated 26 times.  Everything God does for us, every act of grace is done for our benefit and that God will be glorified. Every gift we receive is motivated by God’s lovingkindness. Because of God’s mercy and because it comes from our unchanging God, His love endures forever.

ED:  Although this blog will not last forever, it has lasted four years and today we begin the fifth year.  The motivation and purpose is to bring Glory to God and exult His Holy Name.  We ask for your prayers as we continue this outreach.  Please, if you are inclined, share with your friends. We accept no advertising and the blog is not monetized in any way.

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December 27 – Wonderful Deeds Indeed

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men!”  Psalm 107:21 (NASB)

For some people Christmas is over.  The holidays came and went and it is over.  Next is the time to focus on the New Year and what is ahead. But if we know the real meaning of the coming of Jesus to this earth, we know that we keep on receiving benefits and blessings from that event every day.  This is true for as long as we live on this earth and on into eternity.  If you are a child of God we hope you have been stirred these days to thank God for sending His Son to be your Savior. You will want to be reminded of His great unfailing love. And you will want to continue thanking Him for loving you and doing wonderful things for you.  In Christ Jesus you are secure and you can look to Him for guidance in the days and months ahead.  For all this we are thankful as well as for the many promises He has made according to His purpose and for His name's sake. Yes, God promises to always be with us and continue the wonderful deeds for mankind.  So let us listen to the psalmist and give thanks to the Lord today.

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November 22 – Thanksgiving Day (USA)

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.  Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.  Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;”  Psalm 136:1-4 (ESV)

The reasons we have to give thanks to God are clear in these verses.  Many listed here in this song which has been sung by many for generations.  God is good.  God is the only God and the God of all  other so called gods.  God is the Lord over all lords.  God is the only one who does great wonders.   God's love is steadfast and endures forever.  God's love will never end.  That is so significant that the declaration is stated four times, once in each verse.   Today, spend some time putting these promises in your mind in the midst of the hustle and bustle and all the distraction.   

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November 18 – Thanks Giving Every Day

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men!  For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.”  Psalm  107:8-9 (NASB)

Today begins Thanksgiving week in the United States.  Our friends and families in Canada already observed Thanksgiving Day on October 8.  We want to remind ourselves that being thankful is not an activity reserved for just one day.  Giving thanks is what we do every time we pray or worship our Lord.  Our verse gives us several reasons for praising God.  For His great love which is steadfast and never fails.  For all the wondrous things he has done for us providing a way to be a part of His family which never fail.  We are thankful that God provides what we need spiritually as well.  He satisfies our thirsty spirit, our soul, and feeds our spiritual hunger with what is good.  We have reason for every day to be a day of thanksgiving and as we gather with family this Thursday, we can bring all that forward and celebrate our loving God.  

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September 8 – Incomparable, Immeasurable, Incomprehensible

 “Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.” Psalm 40:5 (NASB)

In this verse we have selected for today, the psalmist is praising God for two things.  He recognizes that God has done great things, many wonders He has done for all for His people.  And the psalmist is praising God for the very thoughts God has toward His creatures.  These thoughts are the why of the wonders which God has done.  It is these thoughts, which are beyond understanding and nothing else can be compared to Him. God is greater than even his wondrous thoughts and deeds. These deeds are beyond measure for there are so many they cannot be counted.  Imagine now trying to count and list all that God has done and all the deeds that have come from His thoughts.  There is no way to declare them all.  His wonders are incomparable, and the number is immeasurable for God's deeds and thoughts are incomprehensible.  But they are real and for our good and from God's love for us and and we can trust them because we trust God and His Word. 

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May 28 – Reminder to Remember – Memorial Day (USA)

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,” Psalm 105:4-5 (NIV)

Memorial Day is a special day for remembering. We know that this day has been observed in the United States of America for more than one hundred years. It began after the Civil War and was at first called Decoration Day.  But the idea of a special day for remembering is much older than that. We know that God prescribed memorials at several times in Bible days because He did not want His people to forget what He had done for them. Our verse today is one such reminder to remember. So today when we remember other important things like those who have given their lives while serving our country in wars, let's be sure to remember also our God and the wonders He has done for us. What He has done is recorded in the Bible and is for all people. Let's think too of how He has helped us in the past. All this will help us look to the Lord as we are reminded in our verse. Remember today and every day that God is with us helping us with every step we take.  

Notes on Memorial Day in USA

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November 17 – He is the Only One

“Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.” Psalm 40:5 (NIV) 

Those of us who are true followers of God can remember times when God has shown how great He is and how He takes care of our needs. We know too that He has shown His greatness and His care to others who believe and follow Him. As we read our Bibles we know that God has been demonstrating His greatness and His love to people for many many centuries. When the psalmist David wrote the words we read in today's verse He was thinking of what God had done already and that was many centuries ago. God has never ceased to show Himself in the same way and does so all the time throughout the centuries. The promise we carry today is that no other person or entity can compare. Our God is the only One.