“Come and see the works of God”
[Psalms 66]
How is your spiritual life these days? I often ask the brothers and sisters in Christ whom I meet, “How is your spiritual life?” Of course, there are people who are little bit embarrassed to my question. But the most answer is, ‘I am serving this or that in the church, attending prayer meetings, and attending Bible studies.’ Just my personal thought is that listening to their answers is that they are more focused on "doing" rather than "being" in their life of faith. In other words, when anyone is asked ‘How is your spiritual life?’, we mainly say about our own deeds like, ‘I am doing this and that for God's and for my life of faith’. But I don’t usually hear the answer, ‘I am becoming more like Jesus and growing my faith through the gracious work of God.’ It can be said that we are living our Christian life by focusing on our actions toward God rather than God's actions toward us, what and how God works in our lives. Of course, that doesn't mean our actions aren't important. Since living faith is faith with works, our works are also very important. But before that, it is God's actions, not our actions, that we should consider our priority.
If we look at Psalms 66:5, the psalmist says “Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.” I would like to humbly receive the grace of God given by thinking about two things under the heading “Come and see the works of God” based on Psalms 66.
First, we need to think about God’s works.
(1) The psalmist says that God’s works in our lives are awesome.
Look at Psalms 66:5 – “Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.” Among the great and wonderful things that God did to the Israelites, the one thing that cannot be left out is that at the time of the Exodus, God divided the sea of the Red Sea and made it into dry land, so the Israelites walked through the river on foot (v. 6). This is God's supernatural work. That is why the psalmist is also confessing that God's deeds toward the sons of men is awesome (v. 5). In other words, he is saying that the supernatural works of God are “Great and marvelous” (Rev. 15:3). This supernatural, great and marvelous works of God were God's work that showed God's power and how He loved and cared for His people (MacArthur). When the later Israelites remembered the power and love (care) of God, they rejoiced in the Lord (Ps. 66:6). Another great and marvelous thing that God did, the psalmist writes: “He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah” (v. 7). This speaks of God's providence in the sovereignty of God, who rules and governs the world forever by His power (Park). Almighty God, who rules and governs the world, is also observes the nations (Cf. 11:4-5). Therefore, the psalmist urges, “Let not the rebellious exalt themselves” (66:7). How can we comprehend great and marvelous will of God who rules over us, observes us and cares for us in His power. That is why we are praising like this: “.I know not why God's wondrous grace/ To me He hath made Known,/ Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love/ Redeemed me for His own” (Hymn “I Know not Why God’s Wondrous Grace”, verse 1).
(2) The psalmist says that God doesn’t allow our feet to slip.
Look at Psalms 66:9 – “Who keeps us in life And does not allow our feet to slip.” In the midst of ruling and reigning over the world with His power, God spared the lives of His people, the Israelites, and preserved them and saved them alive. Therefore, God didn’t let the feet of the Israelites to slip. How did God keep the Israelites’ feet from slipping? The Lord tried the Israelites as if they were for silver, so that their feet would not slip (v. 10). How did the Lord try them? Look at Psalms 66:11-12: “You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.” The Lord tried the Israelies by bringing them into the net and by laying an oppressive burden upon their loins. Why did the Lord allow these sufferings to the Israelites? This was because the Lord wanted to mold His people, the Israelites, by showing Himself (11:4–5, 7b) (WBC). After training the Israelites, God brought them out to suffering and brought them out into the place of abundance (66:12). Our Lord is God who trains us through suffering, but makes us more like Jesus like a potter. Although He allows us to suffer for a while, it is good for us that we are afflicted (119:71). That is, the Lord reveals Himself through suffering and also shapes our character.
Second, we need to think about the works we must do.
(1) We must glorify and praise God.
Look at Psalms 66:1-2, 8: “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. … Bless our God, O peoples, And sound His praise abroad.” Here, “make His praise glorious” (v. 2) means to ‘make thy glory by praising God (Park, Aben Ezra, Calvin). As the psalmist meditated on the mighty work that God did to the Israelites and the power of God in governing and ruling the world, the psalmist said, “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth” and made it his glory to praise God. The psalmist exhorts us to praise God and say to Him: “Say to God, ‘How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name.’ Selah” (vv. 3-4).
(2) We must worship God.
Look at Psalms 66:13 – “I shall come into Your house with burnt offerings; I shall pay You my vows.” When the psalmist thought about God's grace, he decided to go into the temple of the Lord and paid his vow by offering burnt offerings to God. When did the psalmist make this determination? It was “when I was in distress” (v. 14). Why did the psalmist try to offer burnt offerings while singing glorious praise to God? It was because human thanksgiving and praise were defiled because of his sin and couldn’t be accepted by God (Park). So the psalmist decided to offer burnt offerings of fat beasts to God, with the smoke of rams, an offering of bulls with make goats and put it into action (v. 15). We must also give thanks and praise to God by believing in the ransom death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Just as David offered bulls and goats to God for livelihood, we must offer all our bodies and hearts, which are precious gifts to God.
(3) We must proclaim God’s work for our souls.
Look at Psalms 66:16 – “Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul.” The psalmist, contemplating God's saved grace, admonished God-fearing ones, "Come and hear," and testified to all the things God had done for them. Dr. Park Yoon-sun said the following words: ‘It is more precious than anything else to receive the grace of God. It is not because of the grace received, but because of the close relationship with God through such grace. Therefore he cannot and must not be silent’ (Park). The psalmist David also said in Psalms 39:2 – “I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, And my sorrow grew worse.” We must proclaim the work of God. We must proclaim to all what He has done to us and the grace He has bestowed upon us.
(4) We must pray to God.
Look at Psalms 66:17 – “I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.” The psalmist prayed ad praised God. Just as Paul and Silas in Acts 16 prayed and praised God, the psalmist prayed and praised God while meditating on what God had done. There was no sin in his prayerful heart. If so, the psalmist knew that the Lord would not listen to his prayers (Ps. 66:18). This was his confession: “But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer” (v. 19). God didn’t reject his prayers and didn’t turn away His mercy on him (v. 20).
Let us all meditate on the great and wonderful things that God did on the cross on Mount Calvary some 2,000 years ago. Let us remember the great and marvelous things He did on the cross for our eternal life (salvation). And let's immerse ourselves in His grace by reigning, observing, and caring for us who saved us under the sovereignty of God. He is the God who doesn’t allow our feet to slip. He tries us through suffering, revealing Himself in the midst of it, and also making us like Jesus. Furthermore, we must meditate with faith on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the great and wonderful things He will come and do. When He comes back we will suddenly transform and put on glorious spiritual body. And He will lead us to eternal heaven. We will attend the wedding feast of the Lamb, and we will praise and worship before the glorious God forever. Therefore, we must glorify God more and more. And we must worship God in spirit and truth with all our hearts and souls. We must also proclaim to all what God has done for us. And we must pray, but like Apostle John, we must pray “Maranatha” and 'Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).
“When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!…” (Hymn “O, Lord my God! When I in Awesome Wonder” verse 4),
James Kim
(Praying for me to live a God-centered Christian life)