Read
Sing Praises to the Lord
1You are the Lord's people.
Obey him and celebrate!
He deserves your praise.
2Praise the Lord with harps!
Use harps with ten strings
to make music for him.
3Sing a new song. Shout!
Play beautiful music.
4The Lord is truthful;
he can be trusted.
5He loves justice and fairness,
and he is kind to everyone
everywhere on earth.
6The Lord made the heavens
and everything in them
by his word.
7He scooped up the ocean
and stored the water.
8Everyone in this world
should worship and honor
the Lord!
9As soon as he spoke
the world was created;
at his command,
the earth was formed.
10The Lord destroys the plans
and spoils the schemes
of the nations.
11But what the Lord has planned
will stand forever.
His thoughts never change.
12The Lord blesses each nation
that worships only him.
He blesses his chosen ones.
13The Lord looks at the world
14from his throne in heaven,
and he watches us all.
15The Lord gave us each a mind,
and nothing we do
can be hidden from him.
16 Mighty armies alone
cannot win wars for a king;
great strength by itself
cannot keep a soldier safe.
17In war the strength of a horse
cannot be trusted
to take you to safety.
18But the Lord watches over
all
who honor him
and trust his kindness.
19He protects them from death
and starvation.
20We depend on you, Lord,
to help and protect us.
21You make our hearts glad
because we trust you,
the only God.
22Be kind and bless us!
We depend on you.
Reflect
The psalm raises the question for us at all levels – personal, family, church or nation – “In what do we place our hope?”, God, or other sources of hope like professionals and experts?
This psalm encourages us to truly praise the Lord with enthusiastic songs and praise (vv 1-3), especially because of the power of his word (vv 4-9). He has spoken all things into being. Secular teaching of science tends to undermine the wonder of our Creator God who has created and sustains all forms of life. How little praise we find in the churches today for “all things bright and beautiful.”
Also, where do we place God in international events as the Lord also has oversight and control over all the nations, especially his chosen people Israel (v 12-17)? He is fully aware of and involved in international politics. As our founding fathers in Canada declared at its foundation, quoting Psalm 72:8, “He shall have dominion from sea to sea”.
So while there are those who have a vain hope, trusting in armies and horses (vv 16,17), we as God’s people choose to believe by faith that our God and Lord is entirely trustworthy and dependable in all matters. Yes, we can and do put our hope fully in him (vv 20-22)!
Respond
O God of Israel and all the nations, thank you that we as the Church of Jesus Christ can look to you in joyful hope and confidence knowing that all things both small and local as well as complex and international are under your all-powerful and all-knowing oversight and overruling. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
George Anderson
George is a retired Presbyterian minister who resides in Binbrook Ontario, Canada with his wife, Audrey. George & Audrey emigrated from South Africa to Ile Perrot, Quebec, in 1989 with their four daughters all of whom are now married and living in Ontario with their nine grand-children. After teaching high school Math and working in SU in South Africa, George pastored two churches there and four churches in Canada, the last being in the beautiful Muskoka town of Huntsville. The main focus of George’s ministry has been building up congregations through the renewing grace and power of the Spirit of Jesus as expressed in Acts 2 v 42 – teaching, fellowship, eating together and prayer. George enjoys bird-watching and hiking with Audrey and the occasional tennis and golf.