Psalm 149 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 149 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Verse 2Let Israel be glad in its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
Verse 3Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.
Verse 4For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.
Verse 5Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches.
Verse 6Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,
Verse 7to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
Verse 8to bind their kings with fetters and their nobles with chains of iron,
Verse 9to execute on them the judgment decreed. This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the Lord!
Devotion
Is today a day of praise? A day of relief, perhaps; finally, the attack ads and partisan finger pointing will be over. A day of hope as voters go to the polls, eager for their candidates’ victory. And, at the end of the day, for some a day of disappointment.
Election Day hardly seems like the object for the psalmist’s cry to “Praise the Lord!” Yet our praise is to come in the midst of all things, in times of sorrow and joy, in times of peace and war, in times of agreement and dissension. Looking for a reason to praise today? How about
… because we live in a land of freedom and democracy
… because our society holds civil elections
… because for the most part, neighbors who hold different views can coexist peacefully
… because we trust that God is present in all times and places, and that God can bring good from all things. Praise the Lord!
Prayer
Lord, we pray for peaceful elections, and for wisdom for those who are elected today. Amen.