Slices
Prepare
Wherever I am, I still myself and listen to my breathing. As I breathe in and out, I give thanks to God for this gift of life. I praise him that he sustains and provides for all that he has made.
Bible passage
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
2 You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
4 Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
God our Saviour,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
6 who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
9 You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with corn,
for so you have ordained it.
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
13 The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with corn;
they shout for joy and sing.
Explore
I have a penchant for crime drama, particularly the stories where the initial incident escalates into the world of politics and the media. This was the approach taken, for example, by the hugely successful Danish TV series The Killing, and by Spiral, a French production. This psalm uses the same dynamic but for good purposes.
We start in the Temple in Jerusalem, where the psalmist rejoices that God answers prayer and forgives all who call on him, and he is happy simply to be in this sacred space (vs 1–4). But the bulk of the poem takes us way beyond the Temple mount. We are spiralled into the whole of creation to see God’s loving exercised in favour of all that he has made.
Mountains, seas, animals, the planet and its peoples are all the beneficiaries of this lavish providence. And this grace provokes a response from beyond the Temple walls. We are told that songs of joy come from the whole earth and that even the fields, meadows and valleys shout for joy. Wherever I find myself on this earth, praise is always rising.
Respond
‘Show me how I – along with all your people and with all of creation – can praise you with my whole life.’
Deeper Bible study
‘Fear not, I am with you, so be not dismayed; I am your God and will come to your aid: I’ll strengthen you, help you and cause you to stand.’1
It seems appropriate that we have been assigned this psalm to consider in the midst of David’s psalm in 2 Samuel 22. Here, too, David looks at God in the context of looking at himself, but the view of himself is so different! Here we have moved from ‘I have been blameless …
The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness’2 to an awareness of being ‘overwhelmed by sins’ (v 3) and of being rewarded only because of God’s grace and forgiveness. I don’t have any problem reciting this psalm with confidence! David’s wholehearted praise for God and the thankful presentation of God’s character comes here from a humble awareness of his own sinfulness and a grateful acknowledgement that he doesn’t deserve the privilege of being chosen by God and able to live close to God ‘in your courts’ (v 4).
In that context, what do we learn of God? We see that he demands integrity and obedient service (v 1). He answers prayer and welcomes all (v 2). We can’t be sure whether David understood fully just what that ‘all’ implies, but ‘the hope of all the ends of the earth’ (v 5) certainly shows some awareness. God’s deeds are ‘awesome and righteous’ (v 5) – with the implication that as he is ‘our Saviour’ and ‘hope’ we too have a responsibility to reflect him in our righteous deeds. Verses 9–13 speak of God’s deep concern for his creation; again the implication is that we too have a responsibility to cherish and care for this wonderful world that God has provided for us. The world is coming to a realisation of just how important that is, although one is saddened by the realisation that it took the knowledge of impending disaster for us to begin to take any real notice or any real action.
Lord, you have provided for us in so many ways. Help us to care for others and for your whole creation, reflecting your care and your provision.
1 Author unknown, published by J Rippon, 1787 2 2 Sam 22:24,25
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Isaiah 63,64; Hebrews 13
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray that the SU Singapore Children’s Ministry team will know God’s wisdom as they prepare for the SUPA Camps for primary age children which will take place in November–December. Pray that the Lord will provide volunteers, campsites, partnerships with churches, and finances.
