1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
Praise befits the upright.
2 Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;
he put the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands for ever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.
13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all humankind.
14 From where he sits enthroned he watches
all the inhabitants of the earth—
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all,
and observes all their deeds.
16 A king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
and by its great might it cannot save.
18 Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 to deliver their soul from death,
and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
21 Our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Recently a friend shared with me the Lewis Grizzard essay, "Be Sweet." In that essay, it contains basic common sense pleasantries, but does so in a way that reminds me to give my best, even when I don't feel like it. I like Lewis Grizzard, and this psalm reminds me his words. At least the way that it's written.
When God creates, we stand in awe. We have no choice but to be grateful. While Grizzard reminds us that it is simple to be sweet and it will make the world a better place, it is about us. When we read the psalms, it is about our relationship with God and our neighbors. In both short reads (Be Sweet and Psalm 33), there is hope. But only one offers hope in Christ.
Where do you see the secular world intersect with the religious? I think most of the time they are in opposition. Occasionally, however, you will see hints of God's presence in the secular. The trick is to let the Holy Spirit be the guide. So "Sing to the Lord a new song; play skillfully." Give God your best. Remember to be sweet.
Pray Psalm 33.
