Tuesday, February 11, 2025  

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Today's Scripture
Psalm 146

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord! (NRSV)

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Reflection

The psalms were intended to be sung. In the earliest days of the Presbyterian tradition, Psalm singing was the only music in worship. It is one of our oldest and most precious traditions.

At the end of the book of Psalms, there is a sequence of wonderful, joyful psalms of praise. The collection closes with a glorious climax of thanksgiving and adoration. It reminds me, whenever I read one of them — out loud! — that praise (doxology) is at the very heart of faith. Anne Lamott reminds us that one of the best, all-purpose prayers is “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” and she suggests that it is a great way to start the day. C. S. Lewis said somewhere that praise is mental health made audible.

So read Psalm 146 out loud and allow it to help you express the gratitude and praise that is in your own heart. And if you don’t have any gratitude at the moment, let this ancient hymn create a little for you, lend you some praise from all those who have come before you. Let it remind you that regardless of what else is happening or not happening in your life, God is there, and God’s world is there, and God’s love is still around.

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Prayer
Dear God, hear my silent prayer of praise. Hear the gratitude in my heart for your beautiful world, the gift of this day, the people all around me, the work I will do. Hear my gratitude for the food I will eat, the music I will hear, and the home to which I will return. Hear my gratitude, dear God, for you — your gracious presence in my life and your love, revealed in Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

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Written by John M. Buchanan, Pastor Emeritus
February 10, 2004

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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