May 17, 2023 — Psalm 33

“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous. Praise befits the upright. Praise the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth. He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle; he put the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” Psalm 33:1-9

“What do you think of when you take a walk in the woods, or watch the beautiful white, puffy clouds float by, or gaze down from a lofty mountain peak upon the valley far below, or hear the birds sing in the trees? Do you think of God, the Creator who has built a beautiful habitation for man, and keeps the balance of nature perfectly? There is no “mother nature.” God alone can claim the glory for this world and all that is within it.” (devotional-reflections-from-the-bible.com; Psalm 33) 

What I missed most about worship during the pandemic was the music. When I do a service that is just the spoken word there is an element that, as Lutherans we have become so accustomed — and that is the organ and other instruments and voices that join together in praises to G-d. Musical instruments have their place in the place and the manner in which we rejoice in the Lord. The church organ, the church choir, the church bells, the church trumpet, the church flute, etc. are not to be despised. It’s not to be viewed as a distraction to worshipping the Lord. Having instruments accompanying our singing and our worshipping the Lord is appropriate – actually, it’s commanded in this psalm.

With hearts and voices and instruments tuned to sing G-d’s praise, we join in a long line of worshippers who have done the same before us. When the congregation gathers to sing and shout praises to G-d, I always appreciate the instruments and voices that bless our worship every time we gather.

Prayer: We thank You, Lord, for all the good that You have shown us from the days of our childhood. Continue to multiply Your mercies upon us, keep us in Your fear and favor, cause us to walk in Your praise, protect us from all enemies, both visible and invisible, and grant us, like Simeon of old, to depart in peace, through Christ, our Savior.

Amen.