The great Creator and generous Sustainer of his creation. He invites us to ask “give us this day our daily bread.”
Scripture
Psalm 65:1-13 – The Harvest Festival Song of David
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.
2 O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.
3 When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas;
6 the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might;
7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples,
8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
Observations and reflections
Picture this: This psalm is of a farmer, joyfully pulling his cart full of provision to Jerusalem for the Harvest Feast.
- Considering the Psalm’s context, what “vows” and “prayers” might the psalmist have in mind on the way to Jerusalem? (v1-2)
- What is his attitude towards his personal sins, as he approaches the temple? (v3-4)
- Try to find one phrase to describe for what the Psalmist praises God in
- Verses 5-8a.
- Verses 8b-13.
- How is each of these praises significant to the Psalmist’s present journey?
Personal reflection and Prayer
Our God is “the One Who Hears Prayers”, the great Creator and generous Sustainer of his creation.
- Can you recall a time when you asked God for something you (a) really needed and (b) just desired, and you received it? How did you feel? How did that shape your image of God?
- If you are honest with your yourself, would you say your image of God is generous, or stingy? (i.e. if you ask God for something “normal”, is he happy and generous is his response?) Pray to God about that. Ask him to show you his generosity.
- Read verses 8b-13 again. Then present the needs and requests to this generous Father God.
Shofar Durbanville Bible Studies 