Life in God’s kingdom
How tempting it is to seek total control to ensure that we get our desired outcome, no matter what. But as perfect as that may seem, the psalmist knows it’s a false hope, compared to trusting in God.
A David psalm.
1 To you our praise belongs
O God, in Zion.
To you our vows are fulfilled
2 you hearer of prayer.
To you
all humankind comes with their sins.
3 When our sins overwhelm us
you atone for them.
4 How blessed the one you choose to bring near
and invite to live in your royal courts!
We’re overwhelmed by your goodness
at home in your holy temple!
5 With awesome acts you faithfully answer us
O God our Savior
becoming the hope of everyone everywhere
even those from distant lands overseas.
6 Clothed with the power
that holds the mountains in place
7 you still the sea’s wild roar
the crashing of its waves
and just as easily, the uproar of nations.
8 Earth’s remotest peoples
stand in awe of your wonders.
The eastern and western skies sing for joy
at dawn and at dusk.
9 You care for the earth and water it
making it extremely fertile.
Cascading down to earth
your inexhaustible rain-rivers
nurture the earth’s crops
as you ordained.
10 Your downpours fill the fields’ furrows
and round down their ridges
softening the earth with showers
and blessing its young sprouts.
11 You crown the year with your bounty
leaving a trail of abundance
everywhere you go.
12 The desert dons a rich green vest
and the hills dress up in their party best.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks
and the valleys garbed in golden grain.
They all sing and shout together for joy.
Life has always been a precarious business, and never more so than for farmers in a semi-arid land like ancient Israel. Though David doesn’t mention Baal, he has him in mind here since Baal worship’s appeal derived largely from the promise that Baal would make his worshippers flourish agriculturally, sexually, and militarily. That is, the Canaanites worshipped Baal to gain control of all the forces beyond their control, but their worship was always driven by fear of not having enough and not being enough.
We should easily understand this, as food security, sexual fulfillment, and military dominance are no less concerns to us today. And while we’ve replaced Baal worship with scientism and technology, we’re no less convinced than the ancient Canaanites that we should seek ways to gain total control of our lives. Yet ironically, from polluting the earth and destroying our families to tearing our civic life apart and destabilizing international relations, the more bent we are on securing the future, the less secure we truly are.
The alternative to trusting ourselves maniacally is trusting God confidently, which is David’s concern here. Trusting God with absolutely everything. As we seek his forgiveness, he atones for our sins and welcomes us to live in constant communion with him. Starting with the intimate relationship God offers his people in Zion, David goes on to focus on God’s absolute sovereignty over his creation, which issues in earth’s lavish provision for his people. Thus, David holds out the promise that, rightly related to God, we can trust him to supply all our needs so abundantly that we truly flourish in his courts. That’s ample cause for us to join creation in joyfully celebrating the riotous goodness of God, as depicted so beautifully here.
Prayer:
How amazing that, broken as I am, Lord, you’ve blotted out my sins, seated me at your table, and hear my every cry! Help me to trust you implicitly and pray as your Spirit leads, my requests curbed only by your limitless generosity, wisdom and might, as I raise my joyful songs of praise. Amen.
In your spare moments today, pray this prayer:
How blessed the one you choose to bring near
and invite to live in your royal courts!
We’re overwhelmed by your goodness
at home in your holy temple!
