Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
Verse 2I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
Verse 3You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David:
Verse 4'I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.'" Selah
Verse 15Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance;
Verse 16they exult in your name all day long, and extol your righteousness.
Verse 17For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted.
Verse 18For our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Devotion
Psalm 89:15 is a nice thought, but a bit too naļve. It’s simplistic, glib and altogether lacking in ironic detachment, right? I think not.
First, the psalmist affirms the Lord’s steadfast love amidst the loss of temple, land and monarchy (see verses 38-45). Second, walking in the light of God’s countenance demands risk. Consider Moses. The Lord hid Moses in a rock before passing by, “for no one shall see me and live” (Exodus 33:18ff).
For my part, I recall a late night on the Superior Hiking Trail. A missed turn necessitated a hike through dusk into darkness. Though my shins begged for mercy, I refused to turn on the flashlight. Why? Dependence on the light risked my “night vision.” I feared encampments of chipmunks beyond my beam. I didn’t want to be seen.
A battery, not the glory of the Lord, powered my risky light. The psalmist knows no naiveté.
Prayer
O Lord, lighten our darkness. Amen.