Excerpt from Psalm 105: 1-6, 37-45

"O Give thanks to God, call on God's name, make known God's Deeds among the peoples. Sing to God, sing praises to God; tell of all God's wonderful works."   (The New Century Psalter)

Reflection by Kenneth L. Samuel

"Used to go to dinner almost every night / Danced until I thought I'd lost my breath. / Now it seems your dancing feet are always on my couch. / Good thing I cook or else we'd starve to death. / Ain't that a shame? /What have you done for me lately?"

These are a few of the lyrics to Janet Jackson's mega hit, "What Have You Done for Me Lately?"  In a real sense they express how most of us feel about relationships.  Past declarations of love and fidelity are no substitutes for current expressions of care and affection.  Love suffers greatly if it is not renewed daily by deeds that show how much a person still cares.

The Psalmist calls upon the children of Israel to make God's deeds known among all people – to talk about God's wonderful works.  In order for the children of Israel to be successful in this endeavor, they would have to point to divine activity that their contemporaries could see and readily relate to.  God's actions in ancient times would not be sufficient to convince the people of God's consistent grace and mercy.

What has God done for you and me lately?  Some of us can respond in the words of another well-known lyric: "Great is thy faithfulness, Great is thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see. . ."

We can recite the litany of ancient glories and biblical feats, but what new mercies in our lives are we able to name and celebrate today?  What new mercies in our lives are we willing to give God the credit for, today?  What new mercies in our lives can we share with others today?

If God is still speaking, what has God said to us lately?

Prayer

God, please show us how your love and care for us are renewed in every morning mist and in every evening shadow.  Then give us the unction to talk about it.  Amen.

About the Author Kenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, Stone Mountain, Georgia.

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