Psalm 48
The Glory and Strength of Zion
1 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
3 Within its citadels God
has shown himself a sure defense.
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
3 Within its citadels God
has shown himself a sure defense.
4 Then the kings
assembled,
they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there,
pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters
the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God establishes forever. Selah
they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there,
pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters
the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God establishes forever. Selah
9 We ponder your
steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise,
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad,
let the towns[a] of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments.
in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise,
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad,
let the towns[a] of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments.
12 Walk
about Zion, go all around it,
count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts;
go through its citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will be our guide forever.
count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts;
go through its citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will be our guide forever.
Reflection: Finding God all around us
One of the things that troubles me most about my personal
faith journey is my tendency to put God in boxes or confine God to certain spaces.
I worship God in church, or I think about and pray to God when I read these
devotionals but I struggle to let God fill each moment of each day. The
psalmist finds the beauty and wonder of God walking through the city of
Jerusulem, in the temple, in the palace, and in the mountains. The entire world
speaks to the beauty and wonder of God. It is true, all the earth and
everything in it speaks to the beauty of God and the wonder of God’s creation.
Can I take God out of box and let thoughts of God fill me as I drive through
the city? Can I find God’s presence on a Tuesday at the gym (if going to the
gym becomes more that wishful thinking on my part)? Can I let God fill my life
or will I leave God stuck in the box of Sunday at Church?
Questions:
Morning: How can you take God out of the box and experience
God more today?
Afternoon: Pause and look for God. Wherever you are, can you
see God in your surrondings right now?
Evening: Reflect back on the day, How can you see God in
your day? Even if you missed it at the time, where can you find God in your
life today?
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