Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
Verse 2to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,
Verse 3to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
Verse 4For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
Verse 12The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Verse 13They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.
Verse 14In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap,
Verse 15showing that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Devotion
Have you ever felt incredible joy, but didn’t know how to express it? Have you ever been in the situation where you can’t wait to tell someone the good news, but when you try, words fail? You are speechless?
The beginning of this psalm exudes that feeling. In praise to God, the psalmist can’t get into specifics until first bringing out the music. The joy wells up so much inside, that it bursts forth in song.
The freedom of music is amazing. Strong emotions can be stifled in words, but set to music; even the deepest of feelings can pour forth. Of course, it isn’t always joy. Doubt, fear, contentment, all emotions we experience in our faith journey, can be expressed in song.
The wonderful thing is that God already knows how we are feeling; God’s already there. Still, God has given us the gift of music for us to be freed, not bound, in our emotions.
Let your song burst forth unto God!
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the gift of music. You already know how we are feeling, but you have given us the freedom to express it. We do sing praises to your name, O Most High. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.