Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore, my soul observes them. The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. [1]
Glory in God, rejoice in heart
Psalm 105:1-7 NRSV
O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered, O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
[This psalm] paints one picture: a faithful, promise-making, promise-keeping God, mysterious in his ways but ever mindful of his people, ever planning ahead for their good, ever meeting their needs[2]
Psalm 105:1-7 T. M. Moore paraphrase
Give thanks unto the LORD Most High;
Call on His Name, before Him cry!
Make known His deeds in every land;
Sing praise for all the works of His hand.
Glory in God, rejoice in heart,
All you who seek His holy part.
Him and His strength and Presence seek;
His works proclaim, His judgments speak.
You holy children of Abraham,
You chosen ones of Jacob, stand!
He is our LORD, of wondrous worth;
His judgments are in all the earth.[3]
Matthew Henry
Our devotion is here stirred up, that we may stir up ourselves to praise God. Seek his strength; that is, his grace; the strength of his Spirit to work in us that which is good, which we cannot do but by strength derived from him, for which he will be sought. Seek to have his favour to eternity, therefore continue seeking it while living in this world; for he will not only be found, but he will reward those that diligently seek him. [4]
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
The world glories in its horses and chariots against the Church of God lying in the dust; but our hope is in the name, that is, the power and love of God to His people, manifested in past deliverances . . . He, the unchangeable, self-existing Being, makes things to be, that is, fulfils His promises, and therefore will not forsake His people. Though specially of His people, He is God over all.[5]
The Gospel Way Catechism
Question #44
Why do we tell people about Jesus?
We tell others about Jesus because of love: love for God who gave his only Son as the only Savior, love for our neighbors whose salvation we desire, and love for the gospel that reveals the truth about our world.[6]
Question #45
Why do we love and serve our neighbors?
We love and serve our neighbors as a sign of the Kingdom of God. We do good works not to prove our goodness or earn salvation, but as the overflow of God’s love working in and through us.[7]
Help us to set our hope on your name, Lord. You are the origin and source of all creation. You open the eyes of our hearts so we can know you. You alone abide highest in the lofty place. You are holy in the holy. You lay low the insolence of the proud, set the lowly on high, and bring down the lofty. You make rich and poor, give life and death. You alone are the benefactor of spirits and the God of all flesh. You look into the deepest places and see all our works. You help and relieve those who are in peril, and you are the savior of those in despair. You are the creator and overseer of every spirit. You multiply the nations and have chosen out all who love you through Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, through whom you taught us, honored us, and set us apart. Amen.[8]
Christ, Our Hope in Life and Death
Establish my footsteps in Your word, and do not let any iniquity have dominion over me . . . Make Your face shine upon Your servant and teach me Your statutes. [9]
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ps 119:129–130.
[2] J. A. Motyer, “The Psalms,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 554.
[3] T. M. Moore, The Ailbe Psalter, 2023, p. 161.
[4] Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), Ps 105:1.
[5] Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 377.
[6] Trevin Wax and Thomas West, The Gospel Way Catechism, 2025, p. 157.
[7] Trevin Wax and Thomas West, The Gospel Way Catechism, 2025, p. 160.
[8] A prayer of Clement of Rome, widely regarded as the earliest recorded Christian prayer outside of Scripture. Robert Elmer, ed., Fount of Heaven: Prayers of the Early Church (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2022), 13.
[9] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ps 119:133, 135.
