September 12 — Psalm 134

“Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the LORD. May the LORD, maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.”

This is the last psalm of the collection or group called “Songs of Ascents,” and it is of the nature of a doxology. As with many of the Psalms, the author is unknown. The psalm is a summons to praise, and it is probable that it was designed to be sung by alternate choirs – the first two verses representing the people approaching the sanctuary, calling on those including the ministers of religion – to lift up their hands in the sanctuary and to praise the Lord; the second and remaining verses are the response of the priests or the ministers of religion, pronouncing a blessing on the people – a blessing as proceeding out of Zion.

This Psalm actually follows the format of our worship experience — the people come to the house of G-d to offer up prayer, praise and thanksgiving; and they leave having heard the word and having received the sacrament of the table, leaving as people who have been blessed.

We should praise G-d continually each and every day, and look for the reasons to do so. There are many reason why we should be offering prayer, praise and thanksgiving to G-d. Spend time each morning first in thankfulness. Open your heart to the intricate unending love that we all receive through Jesus Christ. Truly, all of our requests will come into alignment with G-d’s will when we have done so.

It is in this presentation of Psalm 134, a short but precise example of praise and worship, that we see the benefit of reading the Psalms and meditating upon them often. Not only do they form our spiritual life, but they inform our worship life as well.

Let us Pray:

Lord God, where two or three gather in your name, you promise to be with them. Look upon your family gathered in your name, and graciously pour out your blessing upon us; for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

September 13 — Psalm 135

“Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; give praise, O servants of the LORD, you that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for he is gracious. For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession. For I know that the LORD is great; our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both human beings and animals; he sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings—Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel. Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages. For the LORD will vindicate his people, and have compassion on his servants.” (Verses 1-14)

I know there are people who pray in their car, or pray as they’re getting ready to go to work, and even pray every single place that allows such devotion. These are good habits for those who can focus, but for people like me, it often is not that easy. I must have longer moments of quiet time to remain focused. It’s how my brain works within the structure of my day. More importantly, it’s what I need. You however, you may be able to use that time more efficiently than I — for that may be how your brain works.

And now, in this Covid19 soaked world, the reality is that our concerns for getting through each day may outweigh the praise we can offer on a daily basis. We get consumed and overwhelmed with rotating school schedules, work from home distractions, or anxiety attacks about this virus that if we are going to get any time to pray or hold devotions, we are going to need to force ourselves to reflect.

There are many times throughout my week where I sit down at my desk and before the first key is pressed on my IPad, I sit back and offer up a prayer as my heart feels the need. And opening with praise, as Psalm 135 does, offering up praise before we even think about what it is we need, or who needs our prayers that day, well, that little offering of praise can change the course of our thinking. It changes the mindset of the burdens of the day.

For each of us, there are many reasonable and logical reasons why we should praise G-d. There is purpose to why the psalmist opens and closes with praise. For it pulls back the veil of our needy thinking and draws all attention to the One who holds the answers, who has the capability to intervene, and most of all, unconditional love for all.

Let us Pray:

Lord God, great are your deeds; you have shattered the powers of evil and have shown compassion to your servants. Keep us from being deceived by idols, for there is no god like you, and your renown endures from age to age. Blessed are you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Amen.