Read
Sing and Praise the Lord
1Shout praises to the Lord!
Our God is kind,
and it is right and good
to sing praises to him.
2The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem
and brings the people of Israel
back home again.
3He renews our hopes
and heals our bodies.
4He decided how many stars
there would be in the sky
and gave each one a name.
5Our Lord is great and powerful!
He understands everything.
6The Lord helps the oppressed,
but he smears the wicked
in the dirt.
7Celebrate and sing!
Play your harps
for the Lord our God.
8He fills the sky with clouds
and sends rain to the earth,
so that the hills
will be green with grass.
9He provides food for cattle
and for the young ravens,
when they cry out.
10The Lord doesn't care about
the strength of horses
or powerful armies.
11The Lord is pleased only
with those who worship him
and trust his love.
12Everyone in Jerusalem,
come and praise
the Lord your God!
13He makes your city gates strong
and blesses your people.
14God lets you live in peace,
and he gives you
the very best wheat.
15As soon as God speaks,
the earth obeys.
16He covers the ground with snow
like a blanket of wool,
and he scatters frost
like ashes on the ground.
17God sends down hailstones
like chips of rocks.
Who can stand the cold?
18At his command the ice melts,
the wind blows,
and streams begin to flow.
19God gave his laws and teachings
to the descendants of Jacob,
the nation of Israel.
20But he has not given his laws
to any other nation.
Shout praises to the Lord!
Reflect
Observe the turning of day to night and you will be inspired to poetry. Watch as summer turns to fall and you will see balance. Be awestruck as storms rise up and then amazingly are stilled. In each of these instances there is an author and a creator, the Lord Almighty, who is honoured in this psalm of praise.
Just as nature reflects the creative and calming presence of God, we too can rest in the hope that in seasons of heartache we can experience healing. New growth covers dry ground. In the storm, he speaks peace.
Christ, the Word descended, brought calm to an unquiet creation. As twilight winds stirred up a squall on the Sea of Galilee the disciples felt similar stirrings of fear and cried out for rescue. With the same commanding voice that the psalmist describes here, Jesus directed the storm to be still and in doing so challenged his followers to a new experience of faith in his goodness and protection.
If you are experiencing woundedness, confusion or the pain of a barren season, let the words of this psalm refresh you. Look to the Lord of the natural world and discover his faithfulness. In humility you will see the harmony he creates for all living things. Wait for him to breathe a chinook wind over winter snow and call forth stars in a dark night. And, guided by the first and last words of the psalm, praise him. Praise him.
Respond
Lord of all the earth, when we see the beauty you have created we praise you. Just as you are faithful to bring rain, sun and snow we know you will be faithful to us in the seasons of our lives. Help us have faith in you. Amen.
Miriam Wickett
Miriam Wickett works as an occupational therapist in the Greater Vancouver area but has thoroughly enjoyed being the author of daily online prayer compilations on her Blue Stone City site, and collaborating with Scripture Union Canada as a result. She shares a vision for the city with her community at Tenth Church, serving as the refugee support ministry co-ordinator, and spends summers as a volunteer camp director on beautiful Thetis Island, B.C.