God Speaks
134 A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
you who serve at night in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift your hands toward the sanctuary,
and praise the Lord.
3 May the Lord, who made heaven and earth,
bless you from Jerusalem.
135
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord!
Praise him, you who serve the Lord,
2 you who serve in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
celebrate his lovely name with music.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel for his own special treasure.
5 I know the greatness of the Lord—
that our Lord is greater than any other god.
6 The Lord does whatever pleases him
throughout all heaven and earth,
and on the seas and in their depths.
7 He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth.
He sends the lightning with the rain
and releases the wind from his storehouses.
8 He destroyed the firstborn in each Egyptian home,
both people and animals.
9 He performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt
against Pharaoh and all his people.
10 He struck down great nations
and slaughtered mighty kings—
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan.
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
a special possession to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever;
your fame, O Lord, is known to every generation.
14 For the Lord will give justice to his people
and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold,
shaped by human hands.
16 They have mouths but cannot speak,
and eyes but cannot see.
17 They have ears but cannot hear,
and mouths but cannot breathe.
18 And those who make idols are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.
19 O Israel, praise the Lord!
O priests—descendants of Aaron—praise the Lord!
20 O Levites, praise the Lord!
All you who fear the Lord, praise the Lord!
21 The Lord be praised from Zion,
for he lives here in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding each chapter of Psalms 134 and 135:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Psalm 134
1. God is the maker of heaven and earth who blesses His servants.
2. People are to worship and praise the LORD.
Psalm 135
1. The LORD God vindicates His people and has compassion on His servants.
2. People who trust in false gods (whether of gold and silver or immaterial ideologies) will become like them–senseless and lifeless.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Psalms 134 and 135?
I will praise You day and night, O LORD God, maker of heaven and earth. I will serve You alone because You have made me Your treasured possession. Because of Your greatness, You can do as You please throughout the universe. You intervene in the affairs of men for Your good purposes. Please supply me and Your other children-servants with all we need to make You and You message known to all generations and to every people group around the world. Please deal with people who trust in false gods (whether of gold and silver or immaterial ideologies) so that they become like them–senseless and powerless. May the spiritual leaders of this nation rise up and praise You in deeds as well as words. Praise the LORD! AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Psalms 134 and 135?
- I will make a point to say or do something to praise the LORD every hour I am awake.
- I will make a point to serve in my congregation at church in any way I can.
- I will thank the LORD for making me His treasured possession and behave like one.
- I will tell a family member, friend, or stranger about God’s justice and compassion (as expressed in Jesus Christ).
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.