The Gift of a Miracle

Yael Eckstein | November 5, 2023

IFCJ staff member helping Yasmin Kalfa unpack her food box. — Yasmin Kalfa, field coordinator in the Be'er Sheva region, bringing Rosh Hashanah food box to Sofia Neiman. Elderly woman sitting on chair, black and blue dress, unpacking food box, IFCJ staff, white shirt, face mask, jar of honey

I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
    I do not seal my lips, LORD,
    as you know.
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
   from the great assembly. — Psalm 40:9–10

We start out every week with an inspirational lesson from the beloved Psalms. For centuries, these ancient poems of King David and others have been the foundation for Jewish and Christian worship. Enjoy!

In Psalm 40, King David referenced an obligation on every individual who had received a miracle in his or her life. David knew what he was writing about—he wrote this psalm just after he himself was miraculously saved by God. David thanked God for salvation in the beginning of the psalm and asked for further divine protection in the future at the end of the psalm.

In the middle of the psalm, however, David also wrote: “I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips… I do not hide your righteousness… I speak of your faithfulness… I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.” David confirmed that he had made known God’s miracles in public, and this is something that we can all learn from.

Telling others about God’s miracles is deeply embedded in the Jewish tradition. The focal point of Passover is retelling the Exodus story and how God heard the cries of the children of Israel and rescued them from Egypt with great miracles.

The Gift of a Miracle

On Hanukkah, we light our menorahs in our front windows so that everyone will be reminded of the great miracles that God performed for the Maccabees—how a few defeated many and how a small flask of oil lasted for eight days.

When God gives us the gift of a miracle, we must give Him the gift of sharing our experiences. In this way we connect people with the power of God and inspire faith in Him.

Are you inspired by these stories of God’s salvation? I hope so. Now share your story about what God has done for you. It’s our privilege, our duty, and a great act of service to proclaim His saving acts.

Your turn:

Thanking God for our many blessings is not just a biblical imperative—it’s healthy for our souls! As we celebrate this season of thanksgiving, please use our complimentary devotional booklet, “The Gift of Gratitude,” to cultivate thankfulness all month, and all year, long.