Day 206 See What the Lord Has Done!

 

7/25/2026

"One generation makes known Your 

faithfulness to the next."

 

Isaiah 39:19b 

 

Nathaniel Bassey, a Nigerian pastor, singer, and worship leader, who can blow a mean trumpet, opened our global prayer call this morning with the song, "See What the Lord Has Done." He is such a gifted young man who can call heaven down to earth, and the peace of God fills the house. It opens the way nicely for our Sabbath day remembrance of Jesus by the breaking of bread and drinking of wine, or in my case, grape juice. I love sharing communion with my friends each week, as we remember together. His sweet presence is with us as we gather together, especially on these days.

Yesterday, our worship song was an old-time favorite of mine by Paul Wilbur, whose ministry I support, and who goes back to the early days of Integrity Music, like Don Moen and Terry MacAlmon, two other artists I treasure. The song by Paul Wilbur was "In His Presence," and the lyrics go like this:

"In Your presence, that's where I am strong; in Your presence, O Lord my God. In Your presence that's where I belong, seeking Your face, touching Your grace, in the cleft of the Rock, in Your presence, O God.

I want to go where the rivers cannot overflow me, where my feet are on the rock. I want to hide where the blazing fire cannot burn me, in Your presence, O God.

I want to hide where the flood of evil cannot reach me, where I'm covered by the blood of the Lamb. I want to be where the schemes of darkness cannot touch me, in Your presence, O God."

It's such a peaceful song, as is the one by Nathaniel Bassey. I love quiet worship, especially when I'm relaxing on my day of Sabbath rest. We are reminded today by Moses in the Torah portion of scripture today to remember all the Lord has done for Israel and for we who believe in Messiah. In the book of Deuteronomy Moses is reminding the people of Israel of the Lord's presence with them beginning with their journey from captivity in Egypt all the way to the Promised Land where they are about to enter into, after wandering the wilderness for 40 years due to disobedience. Moses will not be going with them on this last leg of the journey, because he disobeyed God's command in his anger towards the people who were constantly grumbling and complaining. Rather than speak to the rock for water, Moses struck the rock, so God punished him by not allowing him to enter into the land of promise. 

 

In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Moses begins with the Shema that is spoken daily in Israel in synagogue reminding the people that there is One God, and He alone is God:

 

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

 

Moses is instructing the people to pay heed to the word of God and to fear and reverence Him as Holy. He reminded them to teach the children God's precepts and to love and follow all His laws and commandments faithfully. All throughout the pages of this book, Moses repeats these words several times, because he does not want them to sin, to fall into disobedience and cause the wrath of God to fall upon them. Moses has just spent forty years traveling the wilderness with these people, so he knows how they can be. We are instructed to follow the same rules, so we will live in peace and prosperity. But we, like the children of Israel, do not always obey God's perfect law. We think we know better, and we tend to grumble and complain wen things go wrong. We were born in sin, so it is part of our human nature, but as born-again believers, we must do better and follow the example of Christ Jesus.

 

Bill Cloud, the shepherd/pastor at Jacob's Tent where I attend services online on the Sabbath, taught from the same Torah portion, and he also reminded us of the importance of heeding the word and counsel of the Lord. In scripture we are commanded not to add to or take away from God's word:

 

"You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you." (Deuteronomy 4:2)

 

 "Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar." (Proverbs 30:6)

 

"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll." (Revelation 22:18-19).

 

Moses again repeats the commands in Deuteronomy 4:15-19. He warns Israel about compromising their relationship with God by following the pattern of the culture rather than obeying God. We are called to be holy, set apart people surrendered to God's will, and yet we follow the same wayward path. As God's chosen people, grafted in by the grace of God, we are not to conform to the world's way of doing things, because God has given us a far, far better way to live. We have only to lift up our eyes to see all that the Lord has done!