SUPREME DELIVERER
Opening Prayer
Lord, it is a good thing to praise You.
Read PSALM 92
Psalm 92[a]
A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.
1 It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 proclaiming your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.
4 For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
5 How great are your works, Lord,
how profound your thoughts!
6 Senseless people do not know,
fools do not understand,
7 that though the wicked spring up like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they will be destroyed forever.
8 But you, Lord, are forever exalted.
9 For surely your enemies, Lord,
surely your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
10 You have exalted my horn[b] like that of a wild ox;
fine oils have been poured on me.
11 My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”
Footnotes:
a Psalm 92:1 In Hebrew texts 92:1-15 is numbered 92:2-16.
b Psalm 92:10 Horn here symbolizes strength.
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
Be reassured by God’s victory: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever” (Rev 11:15).
Think Further
This psalm provides a good way of responding to our readings in the Book of Hebrews. In both we meet a God who is active on behalf of His people and who has won the victory. The psalmist has known God’s love (2). He has experienced deliverance from his enemies, who are also God’s enemies (9–11). He has been given a new status by God (10). He has discovered what it means to flourish (12,13). He has known God’s protection. He has reflected on the character of God, faithful (2), powerfully creative (4,5), profound(5), holy and righteous, stable (15). It is hardly surprising that he wants to celebrate. Music (1) can express our deepest feelings and stir our spirits.
In the light of the psalmist’s experience, which to some extent we share, and the “so great a salvation” (Heb 2:3) which is our great blessing, how do we respond? How do we show our appreciation of God and all that He has done? We are righteous and can therefore flourish, not because of anything we have done, but because God has declared us righteous on the basis of what He has done in Jesus. Today is a day to be glad, to sing for joy, to express our appreciation of God in exuberant worship. Take some time to reflect on the wonder of all that God has done in Jesus. Meditate on the love which He has shown. Praise him for the victory over sin and death. Rejoice in the hope which you have in heaven. On your own or in company with others as you worship together, find ways that are right for you to express your appreciation of God.
Apply
The psalm encourages us to see the apparent success of the wicked in a broader perspective (6,7). How might that help to make sense of our world?
Closing prayer
Lord, thank You for identifying with Your people. Our enemies are Your enemies, and we seek refuge in You.
Book and Author Intros
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