Psalm 66:1-9 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 66:1-9 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
Verse 2sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.
Verse 3Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
Verse 4All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name." Selah
Verse 5Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
Verse 6He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him,
Verse 7who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations- let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah
Verse 8Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard,
Verse 9who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.
Devotion
A good story causes a physical reaction in the hearer. Hearts beat faster, palms sweat; we may cry or laugh. We listen outside the story but our bodies enter it. How does this work in God’s story?
Our psalmist remembers in verse six a deed of power done by God. "God turned the sea into dry land, so that they went through the water on foot." This likely refers to the parting of the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites during the Exodus. But notice the psalmist’s personal turn in the telling in the next phrase, "there we rejoiced in God." In this recollection the psalmist has now become a participant in the miracle. When we hear or retell a story about God, we also become a physical part of that story. Please tell me your story so that I may rejoice or mourn or wait with you. This is the living body of Christ.
Prayer
O great storyteller God, we find ourselves continually drawn into your narrative. Give us the courage to also retell your story and thereby include any who feel like outsiders. Amen.