The Word Made Fresh
(To the worship leader: a song, a psalm of David.)
1O God, you are praised in Zion,
and they shall keep the promises they have made to you.
2You are the One who answers prayers,
and all mortals shall come.
3When we engage in wrongful acts,
you will forgive our mistakes.
4Those whom you have summoned to your presence
are rewarded, for you have chosen them.
We rejoice in your temple, your sacred place.
5You deliver us with mighty acts, O God who saves us.
You are the hope of the whole world, even beyond the seas.
6You have set the mountains in their place,
for you are strong and mighty.
7You silence the roaring seas.
You calm the waves, and the noise of the nations.
8Those who abide at the ends of the earth are in awe of your wonders.
The earth shouts with joy at the setting and rising of the sun.
9You come to the earth and water it, and it is enriched.
Your river is overflowing.
The people are provided with the crops you have sent.
10You have sent rain to the furrows of the fields,
softening the ground with showers, blessing the growth of the crops.
11The year is blessed with the bounty you have provided.
The tracks of the wagons are filled with the richness of the land.
12The pastures in the countryside are filled with rich growth,
and the hills are joyfully surrounded.
13The meadows are clothed with the flocks,
and the valleys bedecked with grain.
They shout and joyfully sing together!
Commentary
Superscription: the 52nd of the “psalms of David,” this one labeled simply, “a song.”
1-5: God is praised for answering prayer, for forgiving our transgressions, and for delivering us with “awesome deeds.”
6-8: God is praised for creation: the mountains, the seas, the far-flung lands, and the rising and setting of the sun.
9-13: God is praised for the bounty of the earth: for rain, for rivers of water, for grain, for fields of harvest, and for grazing lands and flocks of animals.
Takeaway
It is easy to find things about which to offer praise to God. Just look around and raise a prayer of thanksgiving for the good earth and all it provides.