the works of His hands

“for you, O LORD, have made me glad by Your work;
   at the works of Your hands I sing for joy.”

psalm 92:4

today as i read thru the psalms this verse screamed out at me to stop. it screamed out because of all the times i have read that verse and wondered what there was about the works of God to make me glad. not that He doesn’t do great things, but sometimes from my perspective it looks as tho His works give me only cause to grieve. today, tho, as soon as my eyes landed on the page i knew that i have much to praise Him for. and for the first time in many months i realized that His works truly have made me glad in Him, rather than just knowing i need to be glad and trying to make myself glad.

but as i contemplated longer, i knew something else. it is indeed ALL of His works, coming together in His sovereign time and for His immaculate purpose, that have made me glad. even the ones i felt at the time to be harsh and unjust. my mind skipped over to Hebrews chapter 12 and i read these verses…

 “…have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

 ‘my son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.’…it is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?...He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it...”

hebrews 12:4-11

“for the moment all discipline seems painful…”

yes, it does. it seems at times that we have a cruel Father, not concerned in the least for our happiness.

but it is “that we may share His holiness.”

wow. it is those He loves, those He looks on as precious children, those He wishes to see made like Himself, who feel the sting of His painful, chastising works.

but in the end, it is all “for our good.”  

the joyous and the painful.

and today it is about ALL the works of His hands that I sing for joy.

“and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

romans 8:28