God has done wonders

Many people deny that God exists and explain faith, providence, and even the wonders believers testify about as mere coincidence. Yet Scripture continually directs our eyes toward the Creator and His works. As we consider the works and the Word of God, we find abundant reasons to proclaim His greatness and give Him glory.

We Will Continue Testifying About the Works of God

Throughout history there have always been people who question or deny the existence of God. In our own time, atheistic writers, philosophers, scientists, and public speakers present arguments against belief in God, sometimes describing religious experience as psychological, natural, or coincidental. Christians should not be surprised by this. Scripture itself records people who rejected God, resisted His revelation, and refused to acknowledge His authority. Yet the existence of unbelief does not prevent the believer from declaring what Scripture teaches about God and what He has done throughout redemptive history.

The Christian testimony should not rest merely upon emotional experiences or unusual events that we cannot explain. Our ultimate foundation is the revelation God has given in His Word. Experiences can be misunderstood, emotions can change, and circumstances can sometimes be interpreted incorrectly, but the Word of God remains the believer’s sure foundation. We testify that God is Creator because Scripture declares it. We proclaim that Christ saves because the gospel announces it. We celebrate God’s faithfulness because His works throughout Scripture reveal His character.

At the same time, believers throughout generations have spoken about the ways in which the truth of Scripture has become visible in their own lives. People testify that God brought them from darkness to faith, changed sinful desires, restored broken lives, gave strength during suffering, granted peace during uncertainty, and sustained them when everything around them seemed to collapse. Such testimonies do not replace Scripture, but they can point toward the transforming grace Scripture proclaims. A changed life can become a powerful testimony to the mercy of God.

David Loved to Speak About the Wonders of God

Few biblical writers speak about the works of God as often and as passionately as David. The Psalms repeatedly call the people of God to remember what the Lord has done, praise His name, declare His works among the nations, and teach future generations about His faithfulness. David understood that worship involved remembering. Forgetfulness often produces ingratitude, while remembrance produces praise.

David’s life gave him many reasons to speak about God. As a young shepherd he learned dependence upon the Lord while caring for sheep in dangerous circumstances. Later he stood before Goliath when the army of Israel was paralyzed by fear. He endured Saul’s hostility, fled for his life, experienced betrayal, fought wars, suffered family tragedy, committed serious sins, received correction, and experienced God’s forgiveness. Through seasons of victory and anguish, David repeatedly returned to the Lord.

This is why the Psalms contain both tears and praise. David did not testify about an imaginary life in which nothing painful ever happened. His testimony was powerful precisely because he had discovered God’s faithfulness in the middle of real suffering. He knew what it meant to be afraid and still trust. He knew what it meant to sin and seek mercy. He knew what it meant to face enemies and cry to God for deliverance.

Christians should learn from this pattern. Our testimony does not need to pretend that life has been perfect. We can speak truthfully about trials while also speaking about the God who sustained us through them. We can acknowledge moments of weakness while glorifying the One who remained strong. The purpose of Christian testimony is not to make ourselves appear extraordinary; it is to direct attention toward an extraordinary God.

Isaiah Declared the Wonderful Things God Had Done

The prophet Isaiah also lifted his voice in praise. In Isaiah 25, he celebrates the Lord’s sovereignty, faithfulness, judgment, and mighty works:

1 Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago.

2 You have made the city a heap of rubble,
the fortified town a ruin,
the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.

3 Therefore strong peoples will honor you;
cities of ruthless nations will revere you.

Isaiah 25:1-3

Notice how Isaiah begins: “Lord, you are my God.” His praise is deeply personal, but it is based upon objective realities concerning God’s character and works. Isaiah praises God because He has acted in perfect faithfulness. The prophet understands that the Lord is not improvising as history unfolds. His works are described as things “planned long ago.” God is sovereign over history, nations, rulers, judgment, deliverance, and the fulfillment of His purposes.

This is beautifully reflected in the meditation Lord, You are my God, which also centers on Isaiah 25 and the prophet’s declaration of God’s faithfulness. Isaiah does not praise a deity who reacts helplessly to events. He worships the Lord whose wisdom precedes human history and whose purposes cannot be frustrated.

God’s Works Are Not Accidents

The phrase “things planned long ago” deserves careful attention. Human beings make plans constantly, yet those plans often fail. We lack knowledge about tomorrow. Unexpected events change our circumstances. Resources disappear. People change their minds. Illness arrives. Opportunities close. Governments rise and fall. Human plans are always limited because human beings themselves are limited.

God is not limited in this way. Scripture presents Him as the One who knows the end from the beginning. His knowledge is perfect, His wisdom is without defect, and His authority extends over all creation. Therefore, the believer can look at the unfolding story of redemption and recognize that God’s saving purposes were not created at the last minute. The coming of Christ was not God’s emergency response to an unforeseen problem. Redemption reveals a purpose that runs throughout Scripture.

From the promise given after humanity’s fall, through God’s covenant dealings, the history of Israel, the prophetic promises, the coming of Christ, His death, resurrection, and the proclamation of the gospel, Scripture presents one unfolding story of divine redemption. What may appear fragmented when individual events are viewed separately becomes astonishingly coherent when we see the entire biblical narrative.

Creation Announces the Glory of God

The testimony concerning God is not limited to the history of Israel. Scripture teaches that creation itself points toward its Creator. David famously declares in Psalm 19 that the heavens declare the glory of God and that the firmament displays His handiwork. The beauty, order, vastness, and complexity of creation should awaken wonder in us.

Consider the heavens above us. Consider the earth beneath our feet, the oceans, mountains, living creatures, seasons, human life, and the extraordinary order that allows life to exist. Christians do not look at these realities and worship nature itself. Rather, creation directs our worship beyond itself toward its Maker. The painting points toward the painter; the work points toward the worker; creation points toward the Creator.

This does not mean that every scientific question disappears simply because we confess God as Creator. Christians can investigate natural processes, study the physical world, explore the heavens, examine biology, and ask difficult questions. Studying how creation operates does not remove God from the picture. For the believer, discovering the extraordinary order of the universe provides another reason to marvel at the wisdom of its Creator.

Our God Is Great

The Bible continually presents God as incomparable. He is not one powerful being competing with other beings of equal rank. He is the Creator, while everything else belongs to the category of creation. He existed before the universe, depends upon nothing outside Himself, and possesses authority over everything He has made.

Job contains magnificent descriptions of God’s power and wisdom. The prophets ask who could possibly instruct the Lord or serve as His counselor. Solomon recognized that even the highest heavens cannot contain Him. These statements remind us that God cannot be reduced to the limitations of the human mind. We can truly know what He has revealed about Himself, but we can never exhaust the infinite greatness of His being.

This is why Scripture can confidently proclaim that God is great. His greatness includes His power, but it is not limited to power. He is great in wisdom, holiness, justice, mercy, love, faithfulness, and sovereignty. No attribute exists imperfectly in Him. God is not sometimes wise and sometimes foolish, sometimes faithful and sometimes unreliable. He is perfectly and eternally God.

No One Can Instruct the Lord

Human beings accumulate knowledge, but everything we know has been learned. We are born knowing almost nothing about the world. We learn language, mathematics, history, relationships, professions, and countless other things over time. Even the most brilliant human mind remains dependent upon information received from outside itself.

God is fundamentally different. No one educated Him. No one explained creation to Him. No counselor provided Him with a better plan. No discovery has ever surprised Him. His knowledge is not increasing because there has never been anything unknown to God. This truth should humble us whenever we are tempted to place our limited judgment above divine revelation.

Sometimes we encounter biblical truths or providential circumstances that we do not immediately understand. Our temptation may be to assume that if we cannot understand God’s reasons, then God must have no good reason. But our inability to comprehend everything is exactly what we should expect as finite creatures. Trust begins by recognizing the difference between the Creator’s knowledge and ours.

God Is Lord Over Nations and History

Isaiah 25 speaks about cities, strong peoples, fortified places, and ruthless nations. This reminds us that God’s authority is not confined to private religious life. He is Lord over history. Empires that once appeared invincible disappeared. Kings who imagined themselves untouchable died. Nations rose, expanded, weakened, and fell. Human power repeatedly proves temporary.

God remains. Babylon does not reign forever. Egypt does not reign forever. Rome does not reign forever. Every human kingdom eventually demonstrates its limitations, but the kingdom of God cannot be overthrown. Isaiah could therefore praise the Lord even while speaking about judgment upon powerful cities and nations.

For Christians, this truth provides perspective during unstable times. Political events matter, wars matter, governments matter, and suffering caused by rulers matters. Scripture never tells us to treat these things as insignificant. Yet they are not ultimate. No government occupies God’s throne. No ruler can cancel His purposes. History does not move beyond His knowledge or sovereign authority.

The Greatest Wonder Is Found in Jesus Christ

When Christians speak of the wonders of God, our attention must ultimately arrive at Jesus Christ. Creation is magnificent. God’s works in Israel were extraordinary. His providential care deserves praise. Yet the center of the Christian proclamation is God’s redemptive work through His Son.

The eternal Son took upon Himself human nature and entered the world He had made. Jesus taught with authority, showed compassion to sinners, healed the sick, confronted hypocrisy, demonstrated authority over nature, and announced the kingdom of God. Yet His mission reached its climax at the cross, where He gave His life, and in the resurrection, where death was defeated.

The miracles of Jesus were never meant to function merely as religious entertainment. They revealed something about who He is. They displayed authority and compassion and accompanied the proclamation of His kingdom. This is why Christian attention should not become obsessed with extraordinary experiences while losing sight of Christ Himself. The greatest gift is not merely receiving something from God’s hand; it is knowing God through His Son.

We Must Be Careful With the Word “Coincidence”

Believers sometimes describe providential circumstances by saying, “That could not have been a coincidence.” We understand the sentiment. There are moments when circumstances align in astonishing ways and we naturally recognize God’s providential care. Yet our confidence in God does not depend upon our ability to classify every unusual event as a miracle.

Scripture gives us something stronger than speculation. It gives us God’s revealed character, His mighty works in redemptive history, the person and work of Christ, and His promises. Christians therefore do not need to exaggerate stories in order to defend the reality of God. Truth itself honors God. When He answers prayer, we give thanks. When He sustains us through ordinary means, we give thanks. When He works through doctors, family, provision, wisdom, or circumstances, we give thanks.

The providence of God includes far more than spectacular events. The food on our table, strength to work, people who encourage us, opportunities to serve, wisdom received at the right moment, protection we may never even recognize, and the daily preservation of life all provide reasons for gratitude.

Changed Lives Testify to the Power of the Gospel

One of the beautiful testimonies Christians can offer is a life increasingly transformed by the gospel. A person once controlled by hatred learns forgiveness. Someone enslaved to destructive patterns begins walking in obedience. A proud person grows in humility. The hopeless discover eternal hope. The selfish begin serving others. None of these changes make a Christian perfect, but they demonstrate that the gospel is not merely information to be stored in the mind.

The New Testament presents conversion as something profound: new birth, new creation, adoption, reconciliation, passing from darkness to light. God does not merely give people a religious label; He transforms sinners through the gospel. Therefore, our conduct should strengthen rather than contradict our testimony.

If we loudly proclaim that God is holy while deliberately living in hypocrisy, our testimony becomes confused. If we speak of God’s mercy while refusing mercy to others, people notice the contradiction. The strongest Christian testimony joins truthful words with a life that increasingly reflects the truth being proclaimed.

God Has Done Wonderful Things

The language of Isaiah remains appropriate for God’s people: “You have done wonderful things.” Scripture contains an entire history of those works. God created. God called Abraham. God delivered Israel. God gave His Word. God raised prophets. God preserved His promises. God sent His Son. Christ died and rose again. The gospel went out among the nations, and people from every background were called to repentance and faith.

The psalmists repeatedly looked backward at what God had done because remembering produced confidence for the future. If God had been faithful yesterday, His character had not changed today. Christians can do the same. We remember creation, redemption, the cross, the resurrection, God’s promises, and His sustaining grace in our own lives.

David could say that God had done wondrous things, and generations later we can still proclaim that the Lord is great and does wondrous things. The biblical record gives us countless reasons to praise Him: the Red Sea opened, His people were preserved, enemies were defeated, promises were fulfilled, and above all, salvation came through Jesus Christ.

Our Testimony Should Point to God, Not to Ourselves

There is an important danger whenever we speak about what God has done for us: testimony can subtly become self-centered. We can spend so much time talking about our story that God becomes almost secondary. Biblical testimony should do the opposite. It should make God appear great, not us.

David praised the Lord who delivered him. Isaiah exalted the God who had done wonderful things. Paul spoke about grace that transformed him while openly acknowledging that he had once persecuted the church. The biblical witnesses do not hide human weakness. Human weakness becomes the background against which divine grace shines more brightly.

When we tell others about God’s faithfulness, therefore, we should resist exaggeration and pride. We do not need to present ourselves as spiritual heroes. We can simply say that we were weak and God sustained us, guilty and Christ forgave us, confused and Scripture guided us, afraid and God gave us strength. The glory belongs to Him.

Let Us Declare His Wonders to the Next Generation

Biblical praise is never intended to disappear with one generation. Scripture repeatedly commands God’s people to teach His works to their children. A generation that forgets what God has done easily becomes a generation that no longer understands why He should be trusted.

Parents can speak with their children about God’s faithfulness. Churches can teach the great acts of redemption found in Scripture. Believers can tell younger Christians how the Lord sustained them through difficult seasons. We should explain the gospel clearly, teach the Bible faithfully, and make sure that our testimony has theological substance rather than merely sentimental language.

The church has received a message too important to keep silent. Christ has died, Christ has risen, forgiveness is proclaimed in His name, and eternal life is promised to those who believe. This is the great testimony Christians carry into the world.

Let Us Exalt His Name

Isaiah’s response to the works of God was simple and profound: “I will exalt you and praise your name.” Knowledge about God should produce worship. Theology that never moves the heart toward reverence has missed something essential. The more clearly we understand His holiness, sovereignty, mercy, wisdom, and faithfulness, the more reasons we discover to worship Him.

Let us therefore speak of His goodness in our homes. Let us remember His faithfulness when difficulties appear. Let us proclaim the gospel in our communities. Let us praise Him in the gathered church. Let us teach our children what Scripture says. Let us live in such a way that our conduct does not contradict our confession.

The world may contain skepticism, unbelief, and competing explanations of reality. Christians do not need to respond with fear. We can answer thoughtfully, listen carefully, give reasons for our hope, and above all remain anchored in Scripture. Our confidence is not that we can answer every question ever asked; our confidence is in the God who has revealed Himself and in Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

Conclusion: There Is No One Like Our God

Our God is Creator of heaven and earth. He existed before all things and depends upon nothing He has made. His wisdom cannot be exhausted, His authority cannot be overthrown, and His purposes cannot be defeated. He has acted throughout history, revealed Himself through His Word, and displayed His saving grace supremely in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, like David, we will speak about His faithfulness. Like Isaiah, we will say, “Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name.” We will remember His works, teach them to those who come after us, and testify truthfully about His grace in our lives.

There is no one like our God. He is majestic in holiness, perfect in wisdom, abundant in mercy, sovereign over history, and faithful from generation to generation. Let our words, our worship, and our lives proclaim His greatness. He has done wonderful things, and His people have every reason to continue declaring His praise.