I can hardly read or hear the word “declare” without being reminded of my childhood in south Mississippi, where I would frequently hear my older family members say, “Well, I declare!” They “declared” everything. If someone did something great, “Well, I declare!” If something terrible happened, “Well, I declare!” If they were faced with a surprise, “Well, I declare!” It seemed that in all circumstances, “Well, I declare” was an appropriate response.

Today’s scripture reminds us that declaring (recounting or retelling) God’s glory and His wondrous works is an appropriate and necessary response to His work in our lives. The act of declaring who God is and what He does carries much more weight than muttering or even shouting, “Well, I declare!” Many times, a Southerner’s “I declare” stops there. They say those words, but they don’t actually declare anything. When we consider God, we have something to declare—something to share with the people with whom we come into contact.

As we seek to share the gospel with those around us, we can begin by simply telling who God is and what He is doing in our lives. We are not required to climb a mountain and shout! We can simply make small declarations in our everyday conversations. We must notice who God is and what He is doing and make it a point to tell others.

I used the word “declare” to create an acrostic naming who God is and how I see Him working in my life right now. It’s my goal to notice these attributes of God and declare them to others.

D – Deliverer (Romans 11:26)
E – Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23)
C – Counselor (John 14: 26)
L – Lord of All (Acts 10:36)
A – Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 21:6)
R – Redeemer (Isaiah 44:24)
E – El Roi (the God who sees me – Genesis 16:13)

God is constantly at work in our lives. So just like a Southerner uses “Well, I declare” in all circumstances, we should always be aware of what God is doing and make a practice of declaring Him to those around us.

Questions to Ask Yourself

1. How is God at work in my life right now? Have I told anyone? If not, whom can I tell?
2. Am I intentional about noticing ways to sneak declarations of God’s glory and His works into everyday conversations?

Missions Prayer
Pray for Aaron and Misty, global workers from our church family serving in Southeast Asia. They are working to reach one of the world’s most unreached people groups. Pray for their family, both immediate and extended, and for their perseverance and strength.