Psalm 33

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.

   Praise befits the upright.

Praise the Lord with the lyre;

   make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.

Sing to him a new song;

   play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

 

For the word of the Lord is upright,

   and all his work is done in faithfulness.

He loves righteousness and justice;

   the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

 

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

   and all their host by the breath of his mouth.

He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;

   he put the deeps in storehouses.

 

Let all the earth fear the Lord;

   let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

For he spoke, and it came to be;

   he commanded, and it stood firm.

 

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;

   he frustrates the plans of the peoples.

The counsel of the Lord stands forever,

   the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,

   the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.

 

The Lord looks down from heaven;

   he sees all humankind.

From where he sits enthroned he watches

   all the inhabitants of the earth—

he who fashions the hearts of them all,

   and observes all their deeds.

A king is not saved by his great army;

   a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.

The war horse is a vain hope for victory,

   and by its great might it cannot save.

 

Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,

   on those who hope in his steadfast love,

to deliver their soul from death,

   and to keep them alive in famine.

 

Our soul waits for the Lord;

   he is our help and shield.

Our heart is glad in him,

   because we trust in his holy name.

Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,

   even as we hope in you.

Comment:

This is a beautiful hymn of praise for the wonderful ways in which the creative Power of God ("the word of the Lord" in verse 6) expresses in the world. This Power is always available as the Lord of our being, and no other resource will solve our challenges. ("A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength," verse 16.)

We understand 'the Lord' to be the Christ—the creative Power of God that is the true identity of each of us. It is by turning to the Christ—not by depending on outside forces—that we will be triumphant in all of life's challenges.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed