Psalm 113 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 113 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord.
Verse 2Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore.
Verse 3From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.
Verse 4The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
Verse 5Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high,
Verse 6who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
Verse 7He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
Verse 8to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
Verse 9He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!
Devotion
Surprise! The Scriptures once again lead us to discover God to be where we least expect!
One purpose of the psalm in the rhythm of our worship service is as a transition to prepare us to hear the gospel and relate it to the Old Testament reading. Amos attacks both the people's complacency—their confidence that their prosperity testified to the uniqueness of their election—and their arrogant behavior that resulted in sharp economic boundaries between neighbors. Someone once observed, when we draw a line establishing a boundary, God is often to be found on the other side!
And so God is! The psalmist celebrates God's siding with those who are "down-and-out" God works on their behalf, and raises them from the dust and ash heap (literally, from "refuse heap" or "dung hill").
God is on the move and has us on a trajectory that begins with exposure and now turns into an experience of surprise (or is it shock?!).
Surprise!
Prayer
Triune God, you are the God of death and resurrection. I have been found out! Forgive me, Lord; raise me from the dust and moral refuse-heap to new life. Praise be to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.