Psalm 93 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 93 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved;
Verse 2your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.
Verse 3The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.
Verse 4More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the Lord!
Verse 5Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore.
Devotion
Robed in majesty, "majestic," "more majestic." Again and again in these five verses, the Psalmist reiterates this refrain. He gropes for adequate images: the floods, the thunder of mighty waters, the waves of the sea. He plumbs the past: from of old, from everlasting. One gets the impression that he is at his expressive limits trying to praise an inexpressible God.
I can sympathize. My culture is skillfully expressive and I deal daily with the mundane result: word processors, lexicons, appointment books and sermons. Most of what I deal with is pretty expressible. Did I remember my umbrella? For whom shall I vote? Don't forget to buy yogurt. Where shall we celebrate Thanksgiving? You need a haircut. Enough!
In all this expressive indigestion, the Psalmist turns our eyes to the One who tests our expressive limits. That Lord is king, and worthy of our worship.
Prayer
We worship you, Lord. We lift your name on high, for you have given us a glimpse of your majesty, especially in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.