The Wonderful Works God Has Done – Psalm 105

A text – Psalm 105: 1-6, 16-22, 45b

105:1 O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.
105:2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.
105:3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
105:4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually.
105:5 Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
105:6 O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
105:16 When he summoned famine against the land, and broke every staff of bread,
105:17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
105:18 His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron;
105:19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD kept testing him.
105:20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free.
105:21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions,
105:22 to instruct his officials at his pleasure, and to teach his elders wisdom.
105:45b Praise the LORD!

A reflection:

Here, in the midst of Psalm 105, we find the story of Joseph. It is being used by the psalmist as a sample of what the Lord has done for his people over the years.

The story of Joseph is amazing in itself – a young man attacked by his brothers, raised in captivity in another land, faithful to God and able to interpret dreams, who became an invaluable asset to a Pharoah in Egypt during a time of famine in his homeland. When his own family comes to that land as migrants seeking food, they find one another and reconcile with one another, and God saves his then very small tribe of Israel from starvation by bringing them to Egypt to thrive.

The Lord God uses single persons and their families to fulfill promises and to create a trustworthy world. Who has been sent to you, has come into your life, and might have been a gift from God to help you thrive? Who might you have been sent to, to help someone else thrive? You may not have ever thought of such things as acts of God, but they may actually be exactly how God works.

The psalmist says we are to praise the Lord, give thanks to the Lord, and remember the wonderful works he has done. Those works did not end in Bible times. How is God still working in ways that you can see?

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for continuing to create a trustworthy world for us, just as you did for Joseph and his family. Help us to see what you are doing and help in your mission where we can, using the gifts you have given us.  Amen.