Music is one of the most engaging human activities. When we sing or play an instrument our whole being is engaged—our mind, our heart, and our body. Music unites us. In a choir, unique individuals become one as they sing. Maybe that is the main reason God created music, because it is a wonderful way to praise Him!

Psalm 92 begins with an announcement that it is good to praise and make music to the Lord (v. 1). Today’s reading encourages us to use the best of our musical skill to proclaim God’s loyal love and faithfulness day and night (vv. 2–3).

God’s loyal love and faithfulness are displayed in His deeds (vv. 4–5). While no specific acts of God are mentioned, the Old Testament is full of examples. God created the world, called Abraham, delivered Israel, provided food and water in the desert, and revealed the Law to Moses (just to name a few). Meditation on these gracious acts leads the psalmist to step back in awe and proclaim, “How great are your works, LORD, how profound your thoughts!” (v. 5).

There are two possible responses to this call to praise. The wicked will act foolishly and refuse to acknowledge God. They are “senseless” (v. 6). This word is normally used to describe animal behavior. Just as animals cannot step back and perceive God at work, the fool also cannot see beyond himself. Like green grass, the wicked may seem like they are flourishing for the moment, but their destruction is sure (v. 7).

In contrast, the righteous will grow like a majestic cedar or hearty palm tree planted in the Temple court (v. 12). They will flourish because they are close to God and stay connected to Him (v. 13).

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Much of our life of faith is spent living in between God’s promise and its future fulfillment. All through the Bible, God makes big promises and then asks His people to live in faith. God promised Abraham he would be the father of a great nation when he had not even had a child yet and was already seventy-five years old (Gen. 12:1–4). It would be over twenty years before this promise was fulfilled.

In today’s reading, Ethan the Ezrahite begins with a resounding word of praise. For the first thirty- seven verses, Ethan recounts the steadfast love of the Lord. He praises God for creation, His justice and righteousness, and for choosing David as Israel’s king (vv. 1–20). God had anointed David and gave him victory over his enemies (vv. 20–23). The poet celebrates God’s covenant with David whom he had appointed “to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth” (v. 27). God had even promised that if David’s descendants were unfaithful, God would punish, but never abandon them (vv. 30–37).

The psalm takes an abrupt shift in verse 38. After celebrating God’s promises to David, he wonders where God is now: “But you have rejected, you have spurned, you have been very angry with your anointed one” (v. 38). Reflecting on the crisis of the Babylonian exile, Ethan describes how Israel has been defeated. From his perspective, it seemed like God had renounced the covenant He made to David (v. 39). We know (of course) that in the New Testament a future descendant of David would fulfill all of these promises and so much more (Luke 1:32; Acts 13:22–23).

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In his classic work Knowing God, J. I. Packer points out the difference between knowing about God and knowing God. He understood that it was possible for someone to have sound theology, know the Bible well, be involved in ministry, and yet not really have a relationship with God.

One way we can know God’s character is by reflecting on how He has related to His people. The psalmist in today’s reading recounts God’s history with His people so that the next generation would “put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds” (vv. 6–7). The goal is not just to learn history, but to trust in the God revealed by it. The psalmist reflects on God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. He reminds them how God defeated the Egyptian army and provided for His people in the wilderness (vv. 12–16). Instead of being grateful, Israel rebelled and complained (vv. 17–19). In His grace, God continued to provide for their needs and judged them for their sins (vv. 20–31). These acts were both designed to cause repentance. Yet, Israel continued to rebel. They grieved God again and again. In response to their ungratefulness and disloyalty, God showed Himself to be slow to anger, merciful, and forgiving (v. 38).

The psalmist reflects on the time period of the judges and early chapters of Samuel. He recounts God’s continued faithfulness and Israel’s obstinacy. God raised up David as king to serve as a faithful shepherd (vv. 65–72). On this side of history, we know David’s line also failed to be obedient, which led to exile. Yet, God promised that a Davidic king would reign on the throne of Israel forever (2 Sam. 7:11–16).

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Western society often idolizes youth and marginalizes the elderly. People spend billions of dollars on anti-aging products. This reflects a widespread anxiety about growing older. We fear the loss of significant work, the deterioration of our health, and the ability to be heard and valued.

While we do not know who wrote Psalm 71, it was someone advanced in years (vv. 9, 18). He fears being disrespected and shamed by others (vv. 1, 4, 10–11). He recognizes the loss of physical strength (v. 9) and feels vulnerable and dependent upon others (vv. 4, 11, 18). Yet this is someone who has walked with God. “For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth” (v. 5). In the midst of lamenting his situation, the psalmist models ways to process these fears and anxieties.

First, he looks back over his life and recognizes that God has been faithful in the past and can be trusted with the future (vv. 6, 14, 15, 17). Long experience has taught him of God’s faithfulness. He can take comfort in God’s continued care.

Second, he knows he has an important purpose in life. He has a responsibility to relay what God has done to the next generation. He asks God not to forsake him “till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come” (v. 18). He can testify to God’s might and power in a unique way given the perspective long years of walking with God have given him. Indeed, by the end of the psalm he has worked through his lament and turned instead to joyful praise (vv. 22–24).

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Do you know your family’s history? A friend of mine often recounts the story of how and why his family came to Chicago. They were a part of the Great Migration of African Americans from the South in the early twentieth century. This helps him share in the sufferings and joys of his family and community.

In today’s reading, the psalmist celebrates what God has done for Israel by recounting their history. He encourages all people to “come and see what God has done!” (v. 5). He tells of God’s mighty acts during Israel’s exodus from Egypt and entry into the promised land (v. 6). God is to be praised because He rescued Israel and provided for them.

However, God’s care involved more than just miraculous acts. God also disciplined Israel when necessary (vv. 9–11). This was also reason to praise God, as it demonstrated His love. In verse 13, the psalmist shifts from speaking about the community as a whole to what God had done in his own life. “Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me,” he declares (v. 16). He testifies that God delivered him when he was in trouble (v. 14). It’s important to note that he set his personal testimony in the context of the big story of God’s salvation in the Old Testament. God did not deliver him for his own sake, but so that he could participate in God’s mission to the world. Part of that mission is declaring God’s goodness to all people and calling them to worship.

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The early church father Augustine of Hippo sought for meaning or fulfillment in his life for years. When he finally came to faith in Christ, he gave thanks to God by saying, “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

In today’s reading, David expresses a deep longing for God’s presence. He knows that only God can satisfy. He confesses, “I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water” (v. 1). As a dry and cracked desert landscape needs water for life to flourish, David knows that he needs intimacy with God in order to survive.

David finds the answer by searching his memory. He looks back on the times when he saw God in the sanctuary and beheld His power and glory (v. 2). He remembers God’s faithful commitment to His people. He declares, “Your love is better than life” (v. 3). The word for love here is hesed. It refers to God’s loyalty to His covenant with Israel. David knows that to be in right relationship with God is more important than life itself.

As David is reminded of God’s faithfulness, he breaks forth in praise, “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands” (v. 4). David prayed this while in the wilderness. He was likely on the run from Saul, or Absalom. In that context, sleep is a time when one would be especially vulnerable to surprise or attack. David declares, “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night” (v. 6). He knows that God is his shelter. Because of this, he is confident in God’s protection (vv. 9–10). He knows that ultimately the “mouths of liars will be silenced,” but his mouth will be wide open “with singing lips” (vv. 11, 5).

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Have you ever been in the situation where you know you have wronged someone and are anxious for an opportunity to apologize and ask for forgiveness? When you do finally get a chance to say you are sorry, and even restore the relationship, it comes with a huge sense of relief.

David had this experience with God. In today’s reading, David praises God because “you forgave our transgressions” (v. 3). In the Old Testament, sins could be forgiven through repentance and participation in animal sacrifice at the Temple. Ultimately, Jesus’ death would fulfill the requirement for sacrifice. Because of His death, we too are forgiven. We have all the more reason to declare, “Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!” (v. 4).

In verses 5–8 of this psalm, David praises God for His mighty works in creation. God formed the mountains and is able to calm the mighty power of the seas (vv. 6–7). In the ancient world, the sea was viewed as a primeval source of chaos and destruction. Even the gods were afraid of its power. But not the God of Israel. He created the sea and can easily tame it. Creation itself joyfully proclaims God’s glory from morning to night (v. 8).

In the final stanza, David praises God for His bountiful provision of food and water. In the industrialized world, we are often far removed from our sources of food and don’t think that much about them. But when David looked at the fertile hills and streams, he recognized God’s goodness and care (vv. 9–13). God is the One who clothes the valleys with grain and the fields with flocks (vv. 12–13).

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When Hezekiah was king of Judah, the powerful nation of Assyria marched into their land and threatened Jerusalem. The commander of the Assyrians taunted the Judean king, even offering to give him two thousand horses for their upcoming battle (2 Kings 18:23). Hezekiah went into the Temple and prayed for God to intervene. That night, the angel of the Lord decimated the Assyrian army, forcing them to head back to their own country (2 Kings 19:35–36).

This event had a profound impact on the nation of Judah. It is possible that Psalm 48 was written in response to this crisis and God’s miraculous intervention. The psalmist proclaims, “Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise” (v. 1). That sets the tone for this joyful hymn which celebrates Jerusalem as the place where God dwells as the “Great King” (v. 2). He compares Jerusalem to the “heights of Zaphon” (v. 2). Zaphon was the mountain north of Israel where Canaanites believed their god Baal reigned as king. The psalmist here declares that the Lord alone is the real King.

Julius Caesar once famously proclaimed, “Veni, Vidi, Vici” (“I came, I saw, I conquered”). The kings described in verses 4–7 “came, saw, and fled!” They surrounded Jerusalem but were dismayed by its secure position. The city was not secure because of its magnificent towers or fortifications, but because it was where God dwelled (v. 8). The psalmist ends by meditating on the faithfulness of God to protect His people (v. 9). Because of the salvation God has accomplished, the people praise Him “to the ends of the earth” (v. 10). His people want to pass on to their children and grandchildren their testimony of God’s faithfulness.

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