Remember the Deeds of the Lord

A sermon for Black History Month and life under this regime.

Before I became a historian, I studied to be a preacher. I still occasionally preach, and I wanted to share this sermon with you. If you this encourages you, and you’d like to hear more, consider become a paid subscriber today.

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There are moments in history—and in our own lives—when it feels like everything is unraveling.

The weight of injustice, the relentless attacks on truth, and the overwhelming flood of bad news can leave us feeling weary and discouraged.

Psalm 77 captures this deep sense of despair: "Will the Lord reject forever? Will God never show God’s favor again?" (v. 7).

The psalmist gives voice to our doubts, our fears, and our exhaustion. But then, a shift happens:

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago." (Psalm 77:11)

This is not about ignoring the pain or pretending things aren’t as bad as they are. It’s about anchoring ourselves in the truth that God has been faithful before, and He will be faithful again.

Photo Credit: Kristin M. Young Photography

This is the same God who sustained Dr. King when the threats became unbearable, the same God who gave Phillis Wheatley the power to resist oppression through poetry, the same God who empowered Frederick Douglass to bear witness to the difference between the Christianity of Christ and the Christianity of white supremacy.

This is the God who still moves in our time.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, if the struggle for justice feels too great, I invite you to take a moment to remember the deeds of the Lord.

And if you need encouragement, listen to my recent sermon where I unpack this truth and share stories that remind us: We are not alone, and we are not without hope.

A special thank you to Spark Church. They have brought me out for every single one of my books, including the Justice for All Generations package. They even held a children’s justice book fair where I got to talk to little ones about the spirit of justice!

Listen to the full sermon HERE.

What are some of the 'deeds of the Lord' that you hold onto in difficult times? Whether it's a personal testimony, a story from history, or a passage of Scripture, share something that reminds you of God's faithfulness when hope feels hard to find. Let us know in the comments.

RESOURCES

Here is the quote from MLK’s “kitchen table moment.”

Then it happened: And it seemed at that moment that I could hear an inner voice saying to me, ‘Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo I will be with you, even until the end of the world.’… I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on.

Here is the poem from Phillis Wheatley that I quoted. “On Being Brought from Africa to America”

'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,

Taught my benighted soul to understand

That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:

Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.

Some view our sable race with scornful eye,

"Their colour is a diabolic die."

Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,

May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.

Here is the quote from Frederick Douglass’ appendix in his first autobiography.

"What I have said respecting and against religion, I mean strictly to apply to the slaveholding religion of this land, and with no possible reference to Christianity proper; for, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference--so wide, that to receive the one as good, pure, and holy, is of necessity to reject the other as bad, corrupt, and wicked.

~Frederick Douglass