Thoughts for the Day

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, for ever;
with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
I declare that your steadfast love is established for ever;
your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens....

Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
a God feared in the council of the holy ones,
great and awesome above all that are around him?
O Lord God of hosts,
who is as mighty as you, O Lord?
Your faithfulness surrounds you.
You rule the raging of the sea;
when its waves rise, you still them....

The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours;
the world and all that is in it—you have founded them.
The north and the south—you created them;
Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
You have a mighty arm;
strong is your hand, high your right hand.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
Happy are the people who know the festal shout,
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance;
they exult in your name all day long,
and extol your righteousness.

(Lectionary, Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Just after Christmas we looked at the theme of the 'Coming of the Messiah' as predicted in the Hebrew scriptures, and one of the readings was from the second half of Psalm 89 (Thoughts for the day January 2026). Today we look at the first half of the psalm, which ostensibly speaks of King David, but as the great evangelist Spurgeon pointed out has always been treated by Christians as referring to Jesus Christ.

Sometimes Lent feels very gloomy, but Psalm 89 reminds us that God is with us - indeed that He is always with us whatever seems to be wrong with the world or with our life. In its original setting the psalm is likely about a festival. The 'festal shout' would be a trumpet to herald the presence of God who was the real King of Israel, but it also reminds me of the shout that occurs at a British Coronation of a monarch. I am old enough to remember the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in Westminster Abbey. We were, living in Germany, and I can recall the amazing shout that went up from the scholars - "Vivat Regina" (Long live the Queen), and later from the whole congregation as I watched it on a tiny black and white television screen.

Today we pause in our Lenten journey to praise not a human monarch, but God who is King of kings. We celebrate that God loves each one of us, and whatever the future holds He is there in the midst of it all. God has our back!

Lord God,
may we never forget to
to sing or shout of Your love for our world
and for us Your children.
Help us not to get bogged down
in day-to-day events
so that we forget to celebrate
Your love and care for us.
Amen.