“Enthroned upon our praises”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Friday, June 17, 2022
Psalm 92 (Forward, p. 50) CEV p. 612
We really don’t know very much about today’s psalmist, save for two things. Firstly, he is effusive, gushing over, in his praises of God over what God has done for him. He praises God throughout the day, morning and night, as if the praises of God were the most natural and needful thing that he does. Indeed, it is as if God was enthroned upon his praises.
However, there is a second thing that caught my attention far more, and that is the series of agricultural images that he uses:
a) Firstly, plant life. He compares the wicked to the grass that springs up so easily and naturally. Here he reminds me of quack or cooch grass, which seems to spread so very easily and exist and persist so resolutely no matter what one tries. The psalmist speaks of this grass being torn up by the roots: oh, that this would happen with this quack or cooch grass!
On the converse, he also speaks of God’s provision for the righteous:
“Good people will prosper like palm trees, and they will grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. They will take root in your house, Lord God, and they will do well. They will be like trees that stay healthy and fruitful, even when they are old” (verses 12-14).
b) And secondly, he mentioned the wild ox and its strength, and suggests that Almighty God has endowed him with that strength. Well, I don’t know about the wild oxen of the psalmist’s world, but I had read the pioneering stories of the tame oxen that were initially used for much of the sod-breaking plowing of the native grassland. And, on the ‘wild side’, I have witnessed firsthand something of the power and ferociousness of the Brahma bulls of rodeo fame. To have something of the power or strength of either of these oxen would be most desirable.
So, what our psalmist waxed eloquent about is what God does for him. He mentions both what God does on an exterior basis (with his enemies, the wicked of the world, and with his friends, the righteous, those who do good) and on an inner basis by giving him strength. (It is interesting, and noteworthy, that the provision of strength comes up twice, both with himself and with his friends. That would appear to be a concern for him.)
All of this should remind us that our God is a God of wonders, and that we should indeed, make the matter of praising Him as one of the chief activities and priorities of our lives. Indeed, like our unknown psalmist, our praise of God should come naturally and be pervasive in terms of our time and activities. Yes, God should be enthroned in our praises. Amen.
Forward notes: “It is a good thing to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to your Name, O Most High; To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning and of your faithfulness in the night season” (verses 1-2).
“There is nothing we can say in our praises that God does not already know. But praising God isn’t about conveying information; it’s about deepening our relationship.
“Marriage is an imperfect metaphor for the relationship between God and people, but in this case, it’s helpful. When I tell my husband I love him, I’m not telling him anything new. But what kind of marriage would we have if we just said our vows at the altar and then never spoke of them again, assuming day after day our hearts remain unchanged? Reassuring one another of our affections helps calibrate our minds and actions so we can maintain those vows against all the distractions of the world.
“The same is true in our relationship with God. Keeping the promises we made at baptism is hard work. Being consistent in praise and gratitude for God’s great generosity to us helps us keep those promises and grow in relationship with our loving Creator.”
Moving Forward: “Who needs to hear words of praise and love in your life? Offer them today—and also to God.”