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
This psalm's heading "For the Sabbath" makes sense. It talks about giving thanks; singing praises; declaring God's love; and making music. All things we do in worship. Yet, sometimes I worry that we might think of worship as a play. The worshipers are the audience. The clergy is the emcee. The musicians are the entertainment, and God is the prompter in the wings. Shouldn't it be the other way around? The worshipers are the performers; the clergy and musicians are the prompters; and God is the only audience.
Has worship become a place where we expect to be entertained? How can we move from observing to bursting forth with passion and praise? If we truly believed in the attributes and characteristics of God, we couldn't help but join in with our passion and praise. "Did I get anything out of worship?" is the wrong question. Rather we could ask: "Did my worship make God smile?"
Prayer
Holy Lord, correct us when we make worship about us—when we let our tastes and preferences override glorifying you. You alone are worthy of our praise. Amen.