Give thanks to God

The other day, I posted some thoughts I'd had having read Psalm 104 - a psalm in which David steps from one aspect of God's creation to another, concluding with his heart singing in praise at this awesome God, Creator of this amazing universe.


The following day, I read Psalm 105, which speaks, not of God's creation, but of God's plan for His people being outworked in History. He begins his musings with a call to Give thanks to God; call on His name....Sing ye to Him'


These two psalms fit in perfectly with another catechism:


Q: How doth God execute His decrees?
A: God executeth His decrees in the works of Creation and Providence.


And so, there we have it: God's work of Creation and His sustaining of it


and


God's works of Providence, and how His plan all comes together to work out His Story.


At times in our lives - maybe because of extreme busyness or because of certain circumstances in our lives - it can be difficult to meditate on the things about which we'd love to - the glorious person of Christ and His work of redemption; the awesomness of the plan of salvation and the triune God. 


At times like these, we can feel a dryness in our soul; a withering which we know, from past experience, can lead to a going further and further away from God. 


So, this is what I suggest: 


think on God's creation. Go outside. Look at the flowers in your garden - at the petals, the seeds, the colours, the beauty.
Look at the animals and how they are sustained by our God. 
Think of the programmes you have seen on the television or pictures you have seen in books, showing the incredible intricacies of the tiny unseen beasties, of the seed patterns on flowers.


Look at the sky - the sun, and the awesomness of the Earth's perfect distance from the Sun; it's perfect rotation  around the Sun and around its axis. All this, sustained by God. Every moment. 


Every moment when we are busy doing other things, thinking of other things, HE sustains every minute detail of our existence, of the Earth's existence and of the existence of our Galaxy.


He is a GREAT GOD, and we surely will praise Him if we allow our minds to dwell on His World.


Yesterday, I read this in C.H. Spurgeon's Morning and Evening: (August 15th) 

"Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide." (Gen 24:63)

Very admirable was his occupation.
We should all know more, live nearer to God, and grow in grace, if we were more alone.
....Meditation chews the cud and extracts the real nutriment from the mental food gathered elsewhere.


Very admirable was his choice of place.
In the field we have a study hung round with texts for thought. From the cedar to the hyssop, from the soaring eagle to the chirping grasshopper, from the blue expanse of heaven to a drop of dew, all things are full of teaching, and when the eye is divinely opened, that theaching flashes upon the mind far more vividly than from written books...... Let us count nothing common or unclean, but feel that all created things point to their Maker, and the field will at once be hallowed.


Very admirable was the season.
It was eventide, and as the sunset draws a veil over the day, our soul would do well to yield to the joys of heavenly communion. 
....If the business of the day will permit it, it will be well, dear reader, if you can spare an hour to walk in the field at eventide, but if not, the Lord is in the town too, and will meet thee in they chamber of in the crowded street. Let thy heart go forth to meet Him.


I was so encouraged by these thoughts, because of the past weeks, which have been so, so busy, it has been so difficult for me to read meaningful books and to meditate on the richness and the depths that are to be found in our Saviour.


And I would add: to the benefits of meditating on the Creation, add the benefits of meditating on Providence. Think about where you live: 


the country - its history, its language - the fact that the Bible was translated by others into your language


the family into which you were born;


the place to which God has taken you now. I can tell you, that when we go through God's providence that has led us to where we are now, we will have countless reasons to sing out with the Psalmist, 'Give thanks to God, call on his name. Sing to Him...sing psalms; proclaim his wondrous works"


(All of this may make little sense to any of you. The truth is though, for me, I was so thankful in the past four or five days to have been given 'something' - just a glimmer of spark in my soul, because this summer has been unbelievably busy - a 'good' busy, because God provided paid work for me to do here at home...for the whole holiday period...
I know it's been God's provision - big style! But early mornings and hours and hours at the computer, day after day, definitely withers the soul. 
The work was from Himself - of that we have no doubt. We are so thankful for it. I am glad too though, that He gave me this 'snippet' for my soul. Forgive me if my ramblings make no sense whatsoever to you. I guess they were meant for me!)