Psalm 95:1-7a (NRSV)
Read Psalm 95:1-7a on biblegateway.com
Verse 1O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Verse 2Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
Verse 3For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Verse 4In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.
Verse 5The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
Verse 6O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
Verse 7For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice!
Devotion
Sung as part of a service of morning prayer, the words of this Psalm stay with me the rest of the day. Drawn into worship, I am invited by this Psalm to “bow down and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord our maker.” These are words of praise that put the rest of my day into perspective, focusing my hope and trust in the promise that we are all God’s people, the sheep of his pasture.
Yet, many in our culture are poor at bowing down before the Lord in worship and adoration. With busy schedules to keep, many rush into their day without the proper focus for ministry in daily life. Why is this? Do we neglect to hear the wisdom of the Psalmist, proclaiming that the Lord is a great God, and a great king, above all Gods? What does it mean to live under a great king? What does it mean to worship the one who reigns?
Prayer
O Lord, your love for us gives us reason to sing and shout for joy. Teach us to daily bow our knees and our hearts in humble adoration, that you may reign in our lives. Amen.