Psalm 92 — August 1

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! The dullard cannot know, the stupid cannot understand this: though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever, but you, O LORD, are on high forever. For your enemies, O LORD, for your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered. But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, showing that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. It is good to give thanks to the Lord. Always. It is also hard to give thanks to the Lord, always. It is hard on good days, and it is hard on bad days.

We have had a lot of bad days lately. We look around the world and wonder what G-d might be doing: is G-d punishing us, teaching us a lesson, or just playing around?

Like the Psalmist says, the thoughts of the Lord are too deep for our understanding. Job finds out this reality when he complains to G-d. Moses finds out this reality when he balks at his calling to save the people from the Egyptians. Peter finds out this reality when he denies Jesus — and yet still receives forgiveness. Of course, we see Moses and Peter and Job as the best of the best — so what about you and me? Will we also receive forgiveness even on our worst days?

Here the Psalmist talks about righteous people — and the word Righteous means “very, very good”. Only G-d is truly righteous. But people receive righteousness when we love and serve the Lord — when we love the Lord and want to obey him. Those who love the Lord will not be as grass and weeds that do not live long — that whither in the heat of the day. Instead, the righteous will be like trees — palm trees that produce fruit and as the cedar tree which lives for centuries.

Even on our worst days, the Lord is still present — acting in ways we cannot see — present in the places we least expect.

Let us pray:

Oh, that I had a thousand voices — To praise my God with a thousand tongues! — My heart, which in the Lord rejoices, Then would proclaim in grateful songs. To all, wherever I might be — What great things God has done for me.

Amen. (LSB 811:1)