Psalm 65:(1-8) 9-13 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 65:(1-8) 9-13 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,
Verse 2O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.
Verse 3When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
Verse 4Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
Verse 5By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
Verse 6By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
Verse 7You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
Verse 8Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
Verse 9You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.
Verse 10You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
Verse 11You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
Verse 12The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
Verse 13the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
Devotion
This psalm expresses many relationships with God. Both the psalmist and worshipers see creation and God working. They (we) praise God who answers prayer, cares for people, makes mountains, dances on the sea and gives signs. They (we) praise God for seeds, furrows, rain, and growth. They (we) and nature rejoice at God’s produce. In ministry we spent years with farmers in the upper Midwest and Africa. In mid-summer people have hope and anxiety. Much work has been done but we wonder “Will there be rain, drought, hail, low prices, monkeys and goats in the crops?” We know that there is much beyond our control. Yet beyond it all God is at work. Just so God speaks: soil results, seed is created, plants grow, harvest comes; all because of God’s productive word. God speaks beyond, within, and near us. God is the loving sustainer with more in store for us, so we and creation are in awe of God.
Prayer
Gracious God, you are constantly doing more than we can see, increase our awe, and grant that we rejoice in your provisions and join trees, animals, nature, and molecules in praising you. Amen.
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