I Chronicles 16:8-12
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
Make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
Tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
Seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he has pronounced.
If we take this passage as prescriptive, we all need to give praise to the Lord and proclaim his name! Can you think of events in your life that need to be made known among the nations? As we share stories of God's wonderful acts, and as we give glory to his holy name, we will strengthen our faith and we will call others to faith.
What are wonders he has done in your life? Four years ago, we were excited to welcome our grandson. Our son, Jeff, and his wife, Samantha, were living in Hong Kong, so we made plans to fly over a few weeks after his birth. The pregnancy had been uneventful, but the delivery was difficult. We got a phone call at 6 in the morning on a warm September day. I could barely understand my son through his tears.
"Mom, our baby was born, but something happened during the delivery, and he didn't get oxygen for several minutes. The doctors don't know if he'll make it. I'm so scared mom."
How do you respond to a phone call like that? My husband and I fell to our knees, and prayed for God's mercy and healing. We asked our friends to pray. We asked our neighbors to pray. We prayed like we had never prayed before. I was terrified and felt so far away - so helpless to do anything but pray, and pray we did.
Hong Kong medicine is excellent, but they are not 'family-centered' like they are in the US. Jeff was thrown out of the delivery room when the baby's heartrate dropped. No one talked to him for hours. Finally, the doctors said, simply, that they didn't know what would happen. With brain damage during delivery, it would be hard to tell for many months - even years. "He might walk; he might not. He might talk; he might not. Time will tell."
Friends surrounded us with prayer. A college friend who went to medical school and became a pediatrician knew the Hong Kong physician. He skyped with him and with our son, which meant the world to them. Another friend sent us over to Hong Kong with a special 'lovey' blanket that our grandson still takes to bed every night. We received countless notes of encouragement and hope. We knew God was working.
Fast forward four years. Theo now has a younger brother, Monty, and the two of them are thick as thieves when they're not fighting over the same toy. Theo is in preschool, loves all things legos, and is meeting - and exceeding - every milestone. Yes, we are singing God's praises and remembering the works he has done. We are seeking his face.
My son is not in a faith community, and I continue to pray that he sees God's hand in Theo's life. I sent a draft of this to him earlier this week, and he called me and thanked me for sharing what it had been like for me - he said he was moved to tears as he once again recalled those early days, wondering what was ahead for his little boy.
God works in small ways and mighty ways. Share those stories of his wonders with others, and draw strength from them. Seek his face - always.
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