Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me. Psalm 66:16
“How our life has been sheltered at dangerous times! What good directions have been given us by the word and example of others. What invitations to make ourselves well acquainted with Christ and His service, and with the peace which His faithful servants are permitted to possess! Whatever the result may have been, surely no thoughtful mind can hesitate to regard with thankfulness such providential care as one of the highest benefits which God hath conferred upon the soul.
And especially let the mind dwell upon this providential care as intended for the discipline and training of the character for some real usefulness in life — as something intended to make us more thoughtful, more watchful, less frivolous, and less selfish — something to give us the rare blessing of a right and well-balanced mind, so that we may be helpful to our friends, and that they may learn from us the lesson which we ourselves have been taught.”
John Saul Howson (1816-1885) Dean of Chester, from his comments on Psalm 66:16-20 entitled “Gratitude and Generosity.”
Today I celebrate the gift of God’s providential care. I was not supposed to be home yesterday morning when the distress call came from our daughter, Sophie, who had spun in circles and slid of the road in the wintry, icy conditions here in Littleton, Colorado. While I am sad I missed out on North Dakota pheasant hunting, I am thankful God changed my plans so that I was home and available to come to her aid in the storm.
As I consider Psalm 66:16 with Howson, I conclude that reflecting on God’s providential care fills my heart with thankfulness and inspires me to be “more thoughtful, more watchful, less frivolous, and less selfish” because God has been so faithful to look out for my needs, to hear my cries for help, and to come to my aid in the storms of life. God, make us a thankful, generous people eager to do what is good.