Psalm 105:1 declares “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.”
Interestingly, this verse, written by King David, is a part of a fifteenverse section of Psalm 105 that also appears in 1 Chronicles 16, following the account of David’s relocation of the Ark to Jerusalem. At this time, David established enduring commemoration, praise, and thanksgiving, versus annual and neglected ritual. As a part of this new institution David assigned Asaph to lead the Israelites saying, “…give praise to the Lord in this manner…” (1 Chronicles 16:7). In context, it is clear that David was overjoyed at God’s provision and thankful that the Ark would now reside in Jerusalem. His heart was full, and he wanted the people of God to be marked by continual praise, not by occasional ceremony.
Psalm 105:1 documents David’s gratitude-anchored response for the Lord’s goodness, kindness, and promised salvation to Israel. And what was that response? “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” Praise rises from the heart, proclamation flows from the lips, and testimony is carried outward. Thanksgiving that is rooted in the Lord’s character does not stay private. It overflows into worship and witness as we declare, again and again, what God has done.
Throughout this year, HCA has focused on the theme, Make Him Known. Our desire, in keeping with our mission and purpose, is to lead students to both know Him and Make Him Known! Certainly this is inspired by a desire for each of our students to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and a personal relationship with Him. We want our students to understand the gospel, to grow in spiritual maturity, and to operate from a biblical worldview. We desire that they would learn to love God with all their heart, to pursue truth with humility, and to walk in obedience to His Word.
But note, as is illustrated in this verse, that it is God’s call for every believer, for every child of God, to proclaim His name and to tell others about our amazing God! Evangelism and discipleship are far more than obligatory compliance with the Great Commission, they are the spiritual overflow of our thanksgiving to an awesome God who loves us, provides for us, and saves us through the shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
As we meditate on the one and only omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God, we should be filled with awe. When we are struck by the truth that He knows us by name and calls us into a relationship with Him, we should fall to our knees. And when we recognize that this same God loves us and sent His Son that we might be saved from our sin to spend eternity with Him, we should be filled with joy and gratitude that compels us to proclaim His Name and to make known among the nations what He has done!
As we go about our day to day, may the Name of God and His mighty works be always on our lips as we praise Him and Make Him Known! Thank you for partnering with HCA as we pursue our mission to inspire and equip our students to grow in spiritual maturity, to achieve academic excellence, and to impact the world for Christ!