Remembering God’s Wonderful Works

(Ps. 111:4)

Mike Johnson

Psalm 111:4 says, “He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.”

We are to remember God’s wonderful works, which are great (Ps. 111:2a)  These works of God include creation (Gen. 1, Ps. 19:1, Rom. 1:20, Jer. 10:12); God sustaining the universe (Acts 17:28, Col. 1:17, Heb. 1:3); redemption (Col. 1:14, Heb. 2:2-3); providence (Eccles. 8:12, Mt. 6:33, Rom. 8:28, 1 Pet. 3:10-12).

We tend to forget people, events, and deeds from the past.  Consequently, our nation has ceremonies and holidays to commemorate and to bestow honor, such as Pearl Harbor Day, Armistice Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day.  Monuments, such as the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, honor historical figures.

There is a great danger of forgetting God’s works, even though He intended for us to remember them. It is important to God, and for us that we “remember.”  The Old and New Testaments stress the importance of remembering, and God has given his people various aids to do this.  Consider them now:

  1. The Bible– God’s Word will endure forever (1 Pet. 1:24-25). In addition to guiding us (Ps. 119:105), it also reminds us of the great works of God. Many have studied the Bible extensively but, in time, forget knowledge obtained. As we continue to study, however, we regain what we have lost. After speaking of entering the everlasting kingdom, Peter explained, “For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth” (2 Peter 1:12).
  2. The Rainbow– During the days of Noah, God destroyed the world with a great flood.  Afterward, God pointed out, “Thus I establish My covenant with you: never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’  And God said: ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth’” (Gen 9:11-13). Today, when we see a rainbow, it is a reminder of the flood sent by God, and that He will never again destroy the world by water. This sign might also cause us to contemplate a future destruction of the earth by fire. (2 Thess. 1:7-8, 2 Peter 3:10-12).
  3. Circumcision– God commanded circumcision to Abraham, who would be the Father of the Jewish nation, as a token of His covenant with him and his descendants. He told Abraham that from his lineage, great nations would come forth, and even kings would descend from him. His descendants would also receive a land — the land of Canaan. In Genesis 17:10, God told Abraham, “This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.” God went on to say it would be a sign of the covenant. If a question came up about why this practice existed, the Jews could point out that it was a covenant between God and Abraham and, ultimately, their people. It served as a reminder.
  4. The Passover– When the children of Israel were in the Egyptian bondage, God sent plagues on the Egyptians to influence their ruler (Pharaoh) to let His people go, and one of the plagues would be the death of the first-born. However, God would spare the first-born of the Jews if they put the blood of a lamb on the sides and top of their doors (Ex. 12). God further revealed (Ex. 12:13-14), “Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. and when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.’” (Note also verses 26-27.) This feast would remind them of the events surrounding their escaping bondage and of God’s great power and His works.
  5. The Sabbath Day– The requirement of the Jews to observe the Sabbath would serve as a reminder to them of God creating the universe. Exodus 31:16-17 explains, “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”
  6. The Lord’s Supper– When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, just before His death, he broke the bread, and pointed out in verse 1 Corinthians 11:24, “…” Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” He then took the cup and said in verses 25b-26, “…This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”  Today, the Lord’s Supper serves as a reminder to us of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection as we partake of it on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
  7. Baptism– Baptism also serves today as a reminder.  Romans 6:3-4 spells out, “…Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”  Baptism involves a burial in water, and as Jesus rose from the dead, we are raised from the water and walk in “newness of life.”

Clearly, God emphasizes reminders.  As the text says, God’s works are wonderful.  Do you spend time thinking about His marvelous works?