Read Psalm 92
A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.
1 It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 proclaiming your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.
4 For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
5 How great are your works, Lord,
how profound your thoughts!
6 Senseless people do not know,
fools do not understand,
7 that though the wicked spring up like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they will be destroyed forever.
8 But you, Lord, are forever exalted.
9 For surely your enemies, Lord,
surely your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
10 You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;
fine oils have been poured on me.
11 My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”
Go Deeper
Sabbath is a time of rest, a time to take a break from our work, and a time to worship and be in the presence of God. Psalm 92 gives us a look into sabbath rest and worship. In fact, the psalm is entitled “A Song for the Sabbath Day.” It begins with praising the Lord and making music in His name. Worship music is a way to connect with God, honor Him, and feel His presence. Sabbath is more than singing worship music – it’s a call for physical rest and a day to connect with our Lord and Savior. Psalm 92 reminds us to start the day proclaiming God’s love and end the day thanking Him for His faithfulness.
The psalmist sings for joy and praises God for His great works and profound thoughts. We know God is always at work around us (John 5:17). Yet, there are times when the craziness and busyness of everyday life prevents us from seeing and recognizing His works. Sabbath helps us set aside time to reflect on who God is and what He is doing, while recognizing any misaligned priorities and recommitting to seeking opportunities to be used by Him. As Paul writes, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Phil 2:13). Sabbath reminds us of our call to live for His glory and spread the good news of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10).
Unfortunately, there are many who think God’s work and blessings are of their own doing; that they are in control. That’s a dangerous place to go. The psalmist tells us that while senseless and foolish people may prosper and succeed here on earth, their forever is very different from believers’ eternity in heaven. As we keep our eyes on Jesus, we flourish and grow. A day of sabbath provides us a chance to slow down and connect with our Savior. Couldn’t we all use a little more of that?
Questions
- Do you observe a weekly day of sabbath? What do you do (or not do) on this day?
- Is God calling you to consider how you might shift work responsibilities or family/kids’ activities in order to incorporate a day of true rest?
- What does rest look like for you?
Keep Digging
For more information, read The Bible Project’s blog post, “Keeping the Sabbath: Is it Still Relevant to Christians Today”
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2 thoughts on “Psalm 92”
After reading today’s Psalm, I feel like belting out the hymn “How Great Thou Art”! What if before our feet hit the floor in the morning, we praised our God, and when our heads lay down at night we recalled His faithfulness? These simple habits could realign our hearts and exalt our good Father who is worthy of all praise. Another fitting hymn proclaims this Psalm so well, “Great is thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!”
As I started reading this, the first thing that popped in my head was a song my pastor as a child loved to sing, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it…” Many times I will wake up in the morning and start by sing this hymn. I have learned by starting the day in Gods words and worshipping throughout the day, my days are filled with more positive moments and the hard times are met with rejoicing a lot easier than when I am not in a state of worship. I would like to start using my days of rest as a day to dig more into the word of God and deeper in my relationship with him.