Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; and to You the vow shall be performed. O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come.” Psalm 65: 1-2, NKJV
Martin Luther once declared that “the Christian ought to be a living doxology.” He was stating that theology, or the proper study of God, should lead to the proper worship of God. Learning the truth about the Lord – that He is the “God of our salvation … the confidence of all the ends of the earth” (Psalm 65: 5b, NKJV) – should produce a life of praise. Thus, as Divine blessings flow from the throne of God to earth, praise should flow from our hearts and lives to God. We ought to ascribe to the Lord the praise due His name, not only with our words, but with our deeds.
David, the author of Psalm 65, believed that every good thing comes from God above. It was a theme repeated over and over again in the Psalm’s – the songs of God’s people. Even in distress, they looked to the many blessings that God poured (and continues to pour) out upon His people rather than focus on the tribulations and trials that can so easily ensnare us. God, who is infinitely good, delights in favoring His loved one with good things. He finds pleasure in the outpouring of His love and joy – in drawing near His people; in choosing and causing those to “dwell in [His] courts” (Psalm 65: 4, NKJV). He isn’t blind to their troubles, but rather enters into His people’s trouble as a God who answers prayer and makes atonement for His people. Not that He simply makes every problem disappear, rather He places every problem in its proper perspective, infusing our lives with both meaning and purpose and allowing us to experience not only greater knowledge of His presence, but greater enjoyment of it as well … and with that peace and an abundance of grace. Toward that end, through His providential sovereignty, God brings order to the world, forming the mountains out of nothing, and bringing order to His creation.
Because of the themes expressed in Psalm 65, most scholars believe it to have been written for the Feast of Tabernacles – the longest and most jubilant of all the feasts of ancient Israel. The Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated after the crops were brought in and the firstfruits were offered to God. It was then that Israel generally and David specifically could most clearly recognize the blessings that had come from God’s hand. It was a joyous turning to the Lord in humble adoration – in gratitude – for His bountiful blessings … and, for us, it comes as a reminder once more of Jesus’ call to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, [knowing that] all these things [all that we need in this life] shall be added to [us]” (Matthew 6: 33, NKJV).
As we enter into a New Year, it is a worthy lesson: all we have is from God. And, it is an important truth: all we are is to give praise unto Him. Even as the earth sings the praises of the God who created it, we, who have been “satisfied with the goodness of [His] house,” ought to be a living doxology to the Lord (Psalm 65: 4c, NKJV). But, does my life shine forth as praise? What changes do I need to make in order to embrace Christ more fully and worship more consistently? Am I Christ-centered? Is He at the heart of my living, relating, and serving?
Let us consider not only the bounty of our God, but the life of praise to which we are called!
In Christ,
Pastor Todd
