Opening Prayer
God in heaven, author of everything seen and unseen, I am in awe of you. Your grace and power sustain all of creation—you sustain me. There is nowhere you are not at work, nowhere your mercy is not able to break into and do miraculous things.
Read PSALM 65
Psalm 65[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise awaits[b] 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[c] 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 Savior,
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 grain,
for so you have ordained it.[d]
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 grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
Footnotes
- Psalm 65:1 In Hebrew texts 65:1-13 is numbered 65:2-14.
- Psalm 65:1 Or befits; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Psalm 65:3 Or made atonement for
- Psalm 65:9 Or for that is how you prepare the land
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
‘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
Think Further
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 Savior’ 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.
Apply
The Lord has provided for us in so many ways. May we care for others and for the whole creation, reflecting God’s care and provision.
Closing prayer
Lord God, show me how I can—along with all your people and with all of creation—praise you with my whole life.
Last Updated on October 1, 2023 by kingstar
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