May 26, 2024 - Psalms 61-65

David has experienced many personal blessings and deliverances from the Lord.  In a very personal way, he can delare God’s goodness and faithfulness.  His personal testimony is powerful but God receives praise from other sources, even the creation:  “You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.  You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.  You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.  The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy” (65:9-13).

Sing to the Lord of harvest,

sing songs of love and praise;

with joyful hearts and voices

your alleluias raise.

By him the rolling seasons

in fruitful order move;

sing to the Lord of harvest

a joyous song of love.

God makes the clouds rain goodness,

the deserts bloom and spring,

the hills leap up in gladness,

the valleys laugh and sing.

God fills them with his fullness,

all things with large increase;

he crowns the year with blessing,

with plenty and with peace.   -- John S. B. Monsell (1866)