Awesome Works

Psalm 111 is a hallelujah Psalm, a song of praise for God’s great and glorious deeds. Awesome deeds that are unforgettable and the greatest of all: God’s work of redemption. I agree with the Psalmist, God’s deeds are amazing. We praise the LORD for who He is and for what He does. He is wonderful, gracious, compassionate, almighty, faithful, just, trustworthy and holy–we praise Him for being all these things and more. But, we also praise Him for what He does. He answers prayer and He has redeemed us from the pit. One of the things that impresses me the most is how God can transform a life–take a nobody and make them somebody. Reminds me of a story.

Artful Eddie was a Chicago mobster who squealed on Al Capone. Eddie had a son and he didn’t want him growing up to be like his dad so he cut a deal with the Feds to save his son. Eddie knew he would not live to see his son grow up if he cooperated with the authorities but he did it with the hope of giving his son a better life. Eddie’s sacrifice paid off, his son Butch earned an appointment to Annapolis and became a Navy pilot who served in WWII. Butch was an exceptional pilot; he shot down five bombers in one night and is credited with saving the entire crew of the USS Lexington. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his valor. When you fly into O’Hare in Chicago, you don’t think of gangsters but the airport is named after Butch. Artful Eddie the gangster was the father of Edward Henry {Butch} O’hare, the WWII hero that the airport in named after. I found this story in one of Lucado’s books. I came in tired last night and I couldn’t get my brain to work. I know the story was not perfect for the text but it is a good story.