Psalms 65
Psalms 65:1-13 (NLT)
1 For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David. What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you,
2 for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you.
3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all.
4 What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple.
5 You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.
6 You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength.
7 You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations.
8 Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.
9 You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.
10 You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops.
11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy!
For the man whose heart is after God, praise occupies a heart commitment to giving our great God the honor He is due. These praises are not just reciting someone else’s inspiration, but they are recognizing and noting the things continually occurring in nature and in blessings received as coming from Him, His doing. Life never stops providing reasons to be discouraged or oppressed, and to withhold magnifying and making a big deal about things that are most often overlooked allows heaviness to win the day. A vow, for the one intently pursuing the heart of God, is intentionally scheduling regular periods to exalt those amazing things God is always doing. This vow, though, is more than just a tedious obligation. It is the love commitment of a heart completely enthralled with a Heart that would provide all these good things. It is a simple pattern of living that ensures the most important person in life is regarded with honor by declaring His works. There is a blessing for the one who praises, but the unbridled passion of the one who does so in truth is driven, not by the benefits received, but the deserving of the One who is praised. Considering all He’s said of us and done for us from His precious heart of love, it is only right and honorable for there to be precious moments of fixating on all His blessings. It is simply a great privileged opportunity that is completely up to us to take, something that will bring great pleasure to His heart as what He has provided in overwhelming honor and love is, at least partially, returned.