Wednesday 14 October, 2020

For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David. 1 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

This is a beautiful Psalm to the majesty of God and celebrates the honour he has bestowed on people.

Verse 4 encapsulates the wonder of grace – that God shows favour to me, wants relationship with me. It is wonderful!

I do not recall ever reading verse 2. It seems strange in the midst of these verses. As a children’s church leader, I was drawn to the importance and power of the praises of children. Praise is powerful – to receive praise is transformative in my life. But to give God praise establishes a “strong hold” and “silences” our enemies. Enemies such as circumstances or the subtle influences of the world. Enemies also include things which stop me recognising the majesty of God, such as doubts, fear, or conversely self-reliance. God is greater than any of these influences, but when I worship him as the creator of the universe I guard against their attack on my spirit.

Lord, I praise you and thank you for who you are – a magnificent creator but also my loving heavenly Father. I want to draw closer to you today. Amen

Written by Claire Moore