God the Helper of the Needy
Even in times of grief we can trust the Lord to draw near to us. Jesus gave himself as a ransom for many; in return, we are to be thankful for the forgiveness of sins, great and small, and serve him faithfully.[1]
Almighty and eternal God,
So draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Anglican Book of Common Prayer, 2019)
Psalm 113 NRSV
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
Charles Spurgeon
From early morn till eve the ceaseless hymn should rise unto Jehovah’s throne, and from east to west over the whole round earth pure worship should be rendered unto his glory. So, ought it to be and, blessed be God, we are not without faith that so it shall be. We trust that ere the world’s dread evening comes, the glorious name of the Lord will be proclaimed among all nations, and all people shall call him blessed. At the first proclamation of the gospel the name of the Lord was glorious throughout the whole earth; shall it not be much more so ere the end shall be?[2]
Matthew Henry
God sometimes makes glorious his own wisdom and power, when, having some great work to do, he employs those least likely, and least thought of for it by themselves or others. The apostles were sent from fishing to be fishers of men. And this is God’s constant method in his kingdom of grace. He takes men, by nature beggars, and even traitors, to be his favorites, his children, kings and priests unto him; and numbers them with the princes of his chosen people. He gives us all our comforts, which are generally the more welcome when long delayed, and no longer expected. Let us pray that those lands which are yet barren, may speedily become fruitful, and produce many converts to join in praising the Lord. [3]
J. I. Packer
The glory that is his goal is in fact a two-sided, two-stage relationship: it is, precisely, a conjunction of (a) revelatory acts on his part whereby he shows his glory to men and angels in free generosity, with (b) responsive adoration on their part whereby they give him glory out of gratitude for what they have seen and received. In this conjunction is realized the fellowship of love for which God’s rational creatures were and are made, and for which fallen human beings have now been redeemed. The to-and-fro of seeing glory in God and giving glory to God is the true fulfillment of human nature at its heart, and it brings supreme joy to man just as it does to God.
The worthy name
The Lord’s name excites the praise of his servants and is worthy of endless and universal acclaim.
The exalted Lord
He is exalted over every people and every place, incomparably exalted, so transcendent that he must stoop even to see the heavens. His glory is the highest of all realities, his person is above all dignities, his omniscience embraces all creation.
The shared exaltation
He takes people in their helplessness, countermands their unworthiness and reverses their hopelessness.[4]
O God,
Without whose beauty and goodness our souls are unfed, without whose truth our reason withers: Consecrate our lives to your will, giving us such purity of heart, such depth of faith, and such steadfastness of purpose, that in time we may come to think your own thoughts after you; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
(Anglican Book of Common Prayer, 2019)
My God, How Wonderful Thou Art
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
[1] Ancient Christian Devotional Year C, p. 217.
[2] The Treasury of David, Volume 3, p. 29.
[3] Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), Ps 113:1.
[4] J. A. Motyer, “The Psalms,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 562.
