Psalm 28:5

“Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, Nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them And not build them up.” – Psalms‬ ‭28:5‬ ‭

I watched a Christian movie during the rise of atheism in Russia. I cannot remember the name of the movie, but it was a time when Christians suffered severe persecution for their faith. In the story, a husband and wife are torn apart by this oppression simply because they chose to hold on to their faith in God. Many years later, they are reunited, and the film retells their lives as a testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness over their lives, even in the darkest and most difficult times. This scene from the movie has remained with me to this day. During a harsh winter, the woman falls into freezing water. I do not remember whether she was pushed by a soldier or if it was an accident. What I do remember is her strong faith in God despite her difficult situation. As the cold overtakes her body, she believes she is about to die. Suddenly, a soldier reaches down, pulls her out of the water, and mocks her faith, saying, “Where is your God, the God you said would save you? I am the one who saved you.” Her response was so powerful it still remains in my heart to this day: “My God is alive, and He used your hands to save me.”

This helps us understand what King David meant when he said, “Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, Nor the operation of His hands…” This is the struggle for many people, like the soldier in the movie, and even for some Christians. Many live their daily lives without recognizing how God’s hand is moving in their lives, providing for them, protecting them, and sustaining them. They see the outcome, but they fail to acknowledge the source. The Word of God reveals to us the condition of their heart. It says, “… although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.” The issue is not always a lack of knowledge about God. Often, it is a failure to see, acknowledge, and honor the hand of God at work in one’s life.

Failure to see the work of God is ultimately a failure to acknowledge the existence of God, because the works of the Lord and the operation of His hands reveal His glory among men. God makes Himself known through what He does. As it is written, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1). The presence of God is not hidden. It is displayed openly through His creation and His mighty acts.

When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was truly the Messiah who was to come, Jesus did not answer with argument or reasoning alone. He directed them to the works that were being done before their eyes. Jesus said, “… the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.” (Luke‬ ‭7:22)‬ These works testified that God was present and active. They were clear evidence that the power and presence of God were at work. Likewise, the apostle Paul teaches that God’s presence has been clearly revealed since the creation of the world. As it is written,“because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,” (Romans‬ ‭1:19-20)‬ ‭Creation itself declares the truth of God’s existence and leaves no room for denial.

Jesus clearly taught that His works were the greatest witness of who He is. He said, “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.” (John 5:36)  The works of the LORD Jesus were not random miracles. They were the manifestation of His presence and evidence that God’s promise to Israel concerning His visitation was being fulfilled right before their eyes. Yet many could not see it. Their hearts had become futile, and their eyes were darkened. Although the truth was standing in front of them, they failed to recognize it.

Even the disciples, who walked closely with Jesus, struggled to recognize God in the flesh. When Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus replied, Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” Jesus was telling Philip that He was the Father revealed in the flesh, yet they still struggled to understand. At that time, they had not yet received the Spirit of God, who would later teach them and help them understand these truths. They could not yet see that Jesus is the Word of God and that the Word is not separated from the Father, just as a person’s word is not separated from who they are. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

When Jesus said, “The Father is in me,” He was declaring that God was manifested in the flesh before their very eyes. This was a hard saying and not easily understood unless God Himself reveals it. In His mercy, Jesus pointed them to evidence they could see. The works He did were works that only God could do. If they could not fully grasp the mystery of who He was, they were called to believe through what was visible before them.

This is why failing to acknowledge the hand of God over our lives is such a serious matter. When we fail to recognize the hand of God over our lives, whether in small things or great things, we slowly lose awareness of His presence.  This helps us understand what David meant when he said, “He shall destroy them, and not build them up,” because they did not believe in God or regard His works. Jesus Himself said that those who believe in Him will be saved, but those who do not will be condemned. To reject God’s work is to reject God Himself.

The cross stands as clear evidence of God’s work. Jesus died for our sins, and this is not just a spiritual claim but a historical reality supported by history. Even the resurrection of the LORD Jesus is backed by evidence, through the eyewitness testimony of the disciples and the records preserved by historians. God has not left us without witness. His works, both in history and in our lives, testify to the truth of who He is and what He has done.

Moses gave a serious warning to the people of Israel before they entered the Promised Land. He reminded them not to forget the LORD who delivered them from slavery, fed them in the wilderness, and sustained them through every trial. He warned that when they became comfortable, prosperous, and secure, the greatest danger would not be enemies from outside, but forgetting God within their own hearts. Moses told them that when they enjoyed good homes, full fields, and abundant blessings, they must not say in their hearts that their own strength had gained these things. Instead, they were to remember the Lord, for it was God who gave them the power to prosper. Forgetting the Lord would lead them away from His ways and into destruction. (Deuteronomy 8:11–14, 17–18)

This warning is not only for Israel but for us as well. When we fail to remember what God has done, we begin to lose sight of His presence, and that is the beginning of our downfall.