A text – Psalm 96:1-13
1 O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord; bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord, for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his truth.
A reflection:
This psalm of praise to the God who made all the other gods, to Yahweh who created heaven and earth, makes it clear that everyone, everywhere, should lift God’s name in praise and reverence. Humans and trees and oceans should unite in gratitude and amazement at our one God, creator of all things.
In a way, all our lessons this week share a command: know your place. Jesus tells us to give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and give to God that which is God’s. We belong to God, so our place is in God’s category, God’s house of worship, God’s loving embrace. As Moses and God determine their relationship, Moses begs for God to go with the people as they wander through the wilderness, and God shares God’s self with Moses and the people in visible ways. The Israelites belong to God and make room for God in their traveling lives. Here in this psalm, we are instructed to ascribe to the Lord glory, splendor, strength, and know that God is our king, our judge, and our protector. We live under God’s care. Our place is with God, under God, giving devotion to God in gratitude and love.
In the series The Chosen, Matthew, former tax collector turned follower of Jesus, describes disciple lifestyle to his confused and beset friend. He says more or less, “Every day I have just one thing to do: follow him. The rest takes care of itself.” Matthew has found his place. It is not all easy. But it is clear and singular and he belongs there as he has belonged nowhere else.
This weekend as we undergo the trials of life or celebrate the joys of life, can we take the joy of the psalmist and ascribe to God glory, splendor, and strength, and be glad we live under this great God and receive God’s gifts every day? Can we know our place as belonging to God? Like Matthew, we might find everything else takes care of itself.
A prayer:
Lord God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for being our God, the ruler of the universe and of us. Help us to remember our place. Help us to live gratefully under your care every day of our lives. Help us to let you take care of all the rest. Amen.
