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PRAISE GOD (Psalm 65)

Aren’t you glad that the God of Heaven is concerned about what is happening on Earth?

We are earthbound creatures; our eternal home is yet to come. As the old song says, “This world is not my home; I’m just a-passing through.” But while we are passing through, it is good to know that God is interested and cares for us.

Psalm 113 teaches that God is “high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens,” and but then how He “humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!”

Think about this. A God who is so great and so high, yet so merciful and so loving that He would come to us, consider us, and care what happens on Earth. That is the theme of Psalm 65.

Verse 1: “Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.”

We know that this is a psalm of praise. In fact, its inscription is unique in that it reads, “A psalm and song of David.” This is because it was written in such a way that it could either be spoken or sung.

All great songs should be that way. If a song is filled with truth and doctrine, it is about much more than how it sounds; it is about what it says. The most important part of a song is the lyrics. That is where the substance is. Psalm 65 was not just beautiful to listen to. It was full of truth that could be spoken.

We know that David wrote it, but we do not know exactly when. It follows a series of psalms that are all about praying and begging God for strength, grace, and protection. So it is fitting that we come to praise after all of that prayer.

Your prayer life should lead you to praise. As you ask the Lord for certain things, you should do it with thanksgiving. As He answers your prayer, you should return and give Him glory and praise.

Psalm 65 begins with a short section of psalms about praise. This psalm is really about God’s goodness on the earth. It is about nature and the created world, although it does not begin that way. It begins with what God has done for us personally — internally — and then moves to what God has done naturally or externally in the world around us.

Verse 2: “O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.” This is simply praise to God for hearing prayer.

Verse 3: “Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.” Praise for forgiveness of sin. We all can thank Him that our sin is not held against us, dangling over our heads, but is cleansed when we confess it to Him.

Verse 4: “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.” The psalmist praised here for the opportunity to come into the presence of God. There is a required order. Your sins must be purged before you can go into the holy place.

Verse 5: “By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea.” This is praise to God for being our confidence.

Notice the beautiful progression that reflects what God has done in us. He has heard our prayer, forgiven our sins, brought us into His presence, and given us confidence that, to the ends of the earth, He is with us and for us.

Keep in mind that this psalm has not yet mentioned physical things. It began with spiritual things. So often, when we thank God, it is for food and material possessions around us, and there is nothing wrong with that. But the greatest things you and I have to praise God for are the spiritual because those are what lasts.

Remember the words of Job 1:21. “… the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Physical things can be removed at any time. How can you keep praising God when that part of your life is not what you want it to be? You do it by realizing that the spiritual blessings He gives you will always be yours. What God gives you in those areas, He does not take back.

After praising the Lord for personal blessings, the psalmist moved to address all of the natural things around him.

Verse 6: “Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power.” When I look at the mountains near where I live in West Virginia, I think about how God planted them there. The mountains do not sit there by their own power; they are a testimony to us of the power of God.

Verse 7: “Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.” Many times in Scripture, the ocean’s tumult is a picture of nations and people groups moving and changing constantly. God can speak His command and make it stop.

Verse 8: “They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.” Here is a great practical application for us. We should begin every morning by rejoicing in God and end every day in the evening the same way.

Verses 9-10: “Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.”

Rejoice when the rain starts to fall. God sent it.

Verse 11: “Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.” Every year is God’s gift to us. Some people believe this psalm was written for the Day of Atonement, that day every year when the people rejoiced in the goodness of God and His mercy to them. We should do that every day.

Verses 12-13: “They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.”

Psalm 65 ends with a shout and a song. I hope your day begins and ends that way. You can do that by praising God for His personal gifts to you and His natural gifts all around you.