Let the world know!
The Old Testament recounts many moments where God provided for His people. But one powerful retelling of God’s greatness is found in Psalm 105.
Psalm 105 focuses on events found in the book of Exodus—when worshipers were encouraged to remember God’s faithfulness and show gratitude for what He's done. And while all 45 verses are worth studying, let’s take a closer look at the verse that sets the tone for this Psalm, and the four ways it invites us into worship…
“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done.”
Psalm 105:1 ESV
REFLECT ON GOD'S GOODNESS
Gratitude comes from recognizing what God has done for us. So in order to show gratitude, we have to recognize how God was at work in our past circumstances. When we do that, we can acknowledge God’s faithfulness and genuinely worship Him.
THANK GOD
In Psalm 105:1, the term “giving thanks” stems from the Hebrew word "yadah" which means, “to revere or worship.” To revere someone, you have to respect who they are. Giving thanks is an ongoing act of worship that involves recognizing who God is and offering up gratitude to Him for all that He’s done.
PRAISE GOD
The expression that’s often translated as “call upon His name” was often used in corporate worship to encourage people to seek the Lord.
God’s name carries authority and power and is above all other names, and we proclaim God’s greatness when we call on His great name. When we call on God’s name, we gain a greater understanding of who He is—and this can encourage us to praise Him even more.
TELL EVERYONE
God wants everyone to know Him personally, and we get to help people find Him when we proclaim His greatness. As people discover what God has done for us, it can inspire them to seek God for themselves and discover His love for them.
We were made to worship God, and one of the ways we do that is by recounting His wonderful works. So today, intentionally set aside time to reflect on God’s faithfulness. And then—tell other people about His great works. Who knows? Your praise just might inspire others to worship God as well.
Choose Thankfulness
For years, nothing in King David’s life looked “good.” His family underestimated him, giants despised him, and his father-in-law spent years trying to kill him. But the whole time, David clung to a promise that God would establish him, and eventually make him king of Israel.
David never gave up or gave in—he chose to stay close to God and wait for Him to act. And when God showed up, this is how David responded:
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV
David knew that even when life didn’t look good, he served a God who IS good. And this same God is still actively fighting for us now.
Through His Son, Jesus, He has given us continual access to Himself. We can never lose His unfailing love toward us—a love that endures forever, no matter what goes on around us.
David recognized this, and proclaimed it. And every day, we have the opportunity to do the same.
Here are 2 practical ways that we can respond to ...