Psalm 96:1-9(10-13) (NRSV)
Read Psalm 96:1-9(10-13) on biblegateway.com
Verse 1O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Verse 2Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Verse 3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
Verse 4For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
Verse 5For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Verse 6Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Verse 7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Verse 8Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Verse 9Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.
Verse 10Say among the nations, "The Lord is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity."
Verse 11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
Verse 12let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
Verse 13before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.
Devotion
On a recent trip to St. Louis with stops along the way at zoos in Milwaukee and Chicago, our 10 year old grandson surprised us with his knowledge of the animal kingdom, especially his favorite, the tiger. In a game of recall that I no longer am able to recall, I remember the fun we had over the armadillo. I devised a memory aid for myself by focusing on "dillo" as my aid for the letter A. I asked our grandson if he knew what happens when you give a gun to a "dillo." The answer: You "arm-a-dillo". With such banter we proceeded to tick off the miles driven, nearly 600 in all.
As three travelers with miles together, we created a variety of ways to pass the time. Time was ours. We needed an activity. Today's reading combines both time and activity. For the psalmist, time is the given. The question that begs an answer: what will we do with this gift of time? Over and over we are encouraged to offer songs of praise. Reading, sharing, yes, even singing psalms are a wonder-filled way of using the time that washes over us anew each day. Better than "arming a dillo" would be to "sing to the Lord a new song."
Prayer
Lord God, author of time, help us actualize this gift in ways that bring glory and praise to your name. Amen.