Psalm 113 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 113 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord.
Verse 2Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore.
Verse 3From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.
Verse 4The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
Verse 5Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high,
Verse 6who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
Verse 7He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
Verse 8to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
Verse 9He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!
Devotion
I wrote this devotion while on a mission trip with the youth from my church. We drove hundreds of miles across the country to serve the "poor from the dust" and the "needy from the ash heap." We set out knowing that God calls us to serve those who are less fortunate.
It's easy to see other people as needy and lowly, and ourselves as the heroes come to save them. But in the Psalms and on a mission trip like this we learn that we are not better than anyone else — we are all here in the dust needing God's grace and help.
A week of service and building relationships in an impoverished community teaches us the stories of those we serve, and we understand how we are all in this together. When we see ourselves also needing God's love and grace, suddenly we are praising God together from the ash heap, and we find God's love and grace there for us all.
Prayer
God of the lowly, we rejoice that you lift us up when we have fallen. Help us see how every person is in need of your love and grace. Give us words and actions to share your love and grace with others — and with ourselves. We pray for your mercy. Amen.