Day 3: Ponder anew all the Almighty can do
Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them (Psalm 111:2).
Heavenly Father, on Your invitation and through Your amazing grace, we come into Your holy presence, extol[ling You] with all [our] heart. Great are the works of the Lord... glorious and majestic are His deeds, and His righteousness endures forever (Psalm 112:1-3).
"How precious to me are Your thoughts, God!" the psalmist exclaims. "How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand..." (Psalm 139:17-18).
Though we could never tally Your blessings—though the sum of them is too vast to number—Your word tells us that the one who is wise [should] ponder the loving deeds of the Lord (Psalm 107:43).
More than we even know ourselves, You know our every thought, and our every native tendency, and You do not want us to walk in the folly of ingratitude and self-sufficiency. You addressed this very clearly through Your servant Moses, with those You had called to be Your people:
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God…
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth… (Deuteronomy 8:10-14; 17-18).
Oh Father, deliver us from the evils of pride and ingratitude. Teach us to number our blessings, even as we pray, "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). And since we do not live on bread alone (Matthew 4:4), help us to receive with similar gratitude the life-sustaining power of Your word (John 6:35; Hebrews 1:3). Give us thankful hearts that delight in Your great works in both the spiritual realm, and the natural realm.
Teach us, daily, O Lord, to ponder anew all the Almighty can do. May [our] meditation be pleasing to [You], as [we] rejoice in the Lord. May we unceasingly offer You praise from the depths of our being:
Praise the Lord, my soul. Praise the Lord. (Psalm 104:34-35).
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee; Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee; Ponder anew what the Almighty can do, He who with love doth befriend thee.
~ Joachim Neander ~ Published 1680
~ Translated by Catherine Winkworth ~ 1863
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