In Psalm 105, we read, “Give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make his deeds known to all people! Sing to God; sing praises to the Lord; dwell on all his wondrous works!” (Psalm 105:1-2, CEB)
Why would the psalmist tell us to do such a thing?
Why should we give thanks to God or make God’s deeds known? Why should we sing God’s praises or dwell on all that God has done? In fact, why do we show up on Sunday morning (whether online or in person) to worship God?
Is God the ultimate megalomaniac who needs adoration in order to be appeased?
In a word: No.
The Psalmist encourages us to do these things for ourselves, not for God.
In order to give thanks to God, we have to pause and reflect on all that God has done and is doing in us and through us. We build gratitude upon gratitude.
Once we see God’s deeds and God’s presence in our life—God’s Spirit in our spirit—we have something to tell ourselves and something to “make known to all people.”
Once we get a glimpse of God at work in the world and in us, we become eager to “dwell on all of God’s wondrous works.”
Giving thanks and dwelling on God’s actions is not for God’s benefit, it is for ours.
It builds a foundation we can return to when life is hard.
When we feel alone and adrift, we can recall those moments when the veil thinned and we knew that God heard us. These memories reassure us that God will hear us again.
Each experience of God’s presence and caring becomes a hallmark, a sweet spot we can touch and hold in our heart to remind us that God is with us.
For me, the more I acknowledge these touchstone moments the easier they are to recognize.
When I wonder if God hears my prayers, I remember that I prayed to become a mother. Although I never became pregnant, God granted my prayer by building my family through adoption—an experience that has been abundant with touchstone moments.
I also remember that after I became a mother, I prayed to God out of my overwhelm and exhaustion. I asked why God had given me such amazing children when I was so obviously not good at mothering. There, in my desperation and sadness, God was present with me. God gently assured me that no mistake had been made; I was just the mom my children needed. (More about that here.)
In that moment of desperation, I learned the meaning of unconditional love.
These moments build into a spiritual autobiography—an account of how God has been present in our lives. We can return to this in tough times and find reassurance that God is real and God is with us.
The reason Psalm 105 encourages us to give thanks and sing praises to God is not about what God needs, it is about what we need.
Where has God been present in your life? What are your touchstone moments? How do those moments sustain you when life is hard? Tell me about it in the comments, in an e-mail, or on Facebook.
More like this from Beth: