“All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.” (Psalm 145:10-12 ESV)
We know that God receives glory, but from where does that glory come?
David answers this question in today’s passage: “All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD.” While men and angels take the leading role in praising the Lord, David in this passage is referring to what has historically been known in the church as general revelation. Perhaps the most well-known description of general revelation is found in the first verse of Psalm 19, where we read, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
The very existence of the universe testifies to the glory of God. David goes even further to say that that these works “give thanks” to God. Though they have no audible voices, there is a chorus of praise rendered to the Creator by every grain of sand and every supergiant star.
Matthew Henry states, “Though many would suppress God’s praises, observing a wicked silence regarding them, David declares that they shine forth everywhere, appear of themselves, and are sounded, as it were, by the very dumb creatures.”
Even those things which cannot speak bear witness to the majesty of God. The testimony of general revelation also leaves man without excuse regarding the existence of their Creator (Romans 1:20). Atheism is the epitome of folly (Psalm 14:1), just as it is the epitome of the “wicked silence.”
The witness of general revelation is clearly exhibited in the ministry of Christ as well. When the Pharisees told him to rebuke his disciples, he replied, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:40). Man cannot escape the praise of God. Even if man chooses to withhold his rightful tribute to his Creator, the world around him will raise its collective voice to put his silence to shame.
To borrow a stanza from the hymnist,
This is my Father’s world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
We live in a deeply depraved world that seems to be crumbling around us. It seems that every news cycle includes unspeakable horrors that grieve us. At times we may be tempted to throw in the towel and give up any hope of good in the world. Such a response, however, would be a practical rejection of David’s words in this Psalm. The evil in the world is pervasive, but that is not because the deists were right. The prosperity of the wicked is not due to the absence of God, but to the providences of God we cannot fully understand on this side of eternity.
We may often fail in our duty to praise God as we ought, and our hearts, heavy with the corruption of internal and external sin, may struggle to find the joy of the Lord. In such situations, may we be encouraged to see the fingerprint of God in every thread that weaves together the universe and join with creation in giving thanks to God for all his works.
Just as creation serves its intended purpose to glorify God, may we be faithful in that same endeavor so that the nations may not only see the glory of God in the things that are made but hear the good news of a Maker who saves sinners.
God is indeed sustaining the world and working to bring all his elect to himself. We have every reason to rejoice in the Lord and in all his works. To draw again from the pen of the hymnist:
This is my Father’s world:
O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Your works are wonderful. You have formed the world as a testament to your power and glory. As we look at the world, and the way it bears witness to your glory, may we likewise raise our voices in praise to you.
In your Son’s name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for the young churches in the Central Mediterranean region to find and exercise wise outlets for sharing the hope of the gospel in their communities.
- Wednesday: Pray for the church planting teams in the Polish cities of Tczew and Wejherowo to continue to build evangelistic relationships.
- Thursday: Pray for unbelievers in the Central Mediterranean region to trust in the Lord alone for peace and salvation, especially when everything else they have trusted for safety and security seems to have failed them.
- Friday: Pray for missionaries in Hungary doing evangelistic work with children with disabilities.
- Saturday: Pray for missionaries who are discouraged by the lack of observable fruit in their ministries.
- Sunday: Pray for the peace of parents of missionaries who are separated from children and grandchildren.
- Monday: Pray for missionary efforts among the secular population of Tokyo, Japan.
