The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (Ex. 15:2)
WHEN I WAS AN ACQUISITIONS EDITOR, I had the privilege of working closely with authors; frequently they would mention me on the acknowledgments page of their books. The designers, who also contributed heavily to the success of the book, usually didn’t have direct contact with the authors so often got overlooked. One day, an author called me after receiving his copy of a picture book and mentioned the one problem with it: he didn’t know one of the people mentioned on the acknowledgments page. I recognized the designer’s name, of course, and she confessed she had added the self-acknowledgment right before sending the files to the printer. “I did a lot of work on this book,” she said. “It seemed only fair.”
I wonder if God feels that way sometimes. He does some mighty work on our behalf, and we don’t even give Him a nod, let alone public acknowledgment. Either we forget or, worse, we don’t recognize His work on our behalf. We explain away a miracle, we think we accomplished something on our own, or we give credit to another person.
After God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to pass through, saving them from the vast Egyptian army, Moses and the people stopped to worship God, which is exactly what God desires and requires. Let’s give our praise freely.
Write a poem or letter to God, giving Him praise.
Heather Gemmen Wilson is a bestselling author and international speaker. She is married to a Wesleyan pastor, and together they have six children. She is also author of the preteen Lydia Barnes series (WPH).
