Psalm 65: 9-13 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 65: 9-13 on biblegateway.com
Verse 9You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.
Verse 10You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
Verse 11You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
Verse 12The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
Verse 13the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
Devotion
This Psalm of Thanksgiving, often associated with harvest festivals, proclaims the goodness of God's bounty. God is the source of abundance, providing grain, tending and watering the fields that grow rich with harvest. The flocks and crops serve as clothing for the earth which, in turn, shouts for joy at the goodness of God. This image of the earth praising God, while not unique to the psalmist, has deep significance for us as children of God. Not only are we entrusted to be stewards of God's earth, but our voices join the chorus of praise with all of nature. When we view creation in this light, we rejoice that we are called into closer affinity with the rest of God's handiwork and worship the One who has created us and our world.
Prayer
Creator God, your magnificent works of creation provide abundant life for all. Help us to love the earth you have provided for us, to treat it with tender care, and to join with it in offering thanks and praise for the abundance you give.
Amen.