All Good Gifts

Psalm 65:6-13

6You formed the mountains by your power

and armed yourself with mighty strength.

7You quieted the raging oceans

with their pounding waves

and silenced the shouting of the nations.

8Those who live at the ends of the earth

stand in awe of your wonders.

From where the sun rises to where it sets,

you inspire shouts of joy.

9You take care of the earth and water it,

making it rich and fertile.

The rivers of God will not run dry;

they provide a bountiful harvest of grain,

for you have ordered it so.

10You drench the plowed ground with rain,

melting the clods and leveling the ridges.

You soften the earth with showers

and bless its abundant crops.

11You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;

even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.

12The wilderness becomes a lush pasture,

and the hillsides blossom with joy.

13The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,

and the valleys are carpeted with grain.

They all shout and sing for joy!

We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land,

But it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand.

He sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain,

The seedtime and the harvest, and soft, refreshing rain.

These old hymn lyrics were being sung by teenagers in motley attire as the first act of Godspell drew to a close. This musical, written in the 1960s, tells the story of Jesus in comedy, drama, and song.

The musical continues:

All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above

Then thank the Lord, oh, thank the Lord for all his love.

Then the soloist hits the heights with a beautiful riff: “I really want to thank you, Lord.” It’s a great moment of simple, joyful expression.

The cast of this particular production included Christians and non-Christians alike. Although much of the script is taken right from the Gospels, and many of the lyrics come straight from old hymns, the musical appeals to people of all religious persuasions (and those with none at all). Part of the musical’s universal appeal is no doubt due to the different episodes of joyful expression found throughout the script.

Psalm 65 shows us something similar. It’s far more than a weather report; it erupts with delight. God has given us a wonderful world, and we must “shout and sing for joy”!

The joy of the Lord is the strength for life’s trials,

And lifts the crushed heart above sorrow and care.

Like the nightingale’s notes, it can sing in the darkness,

And rejoice when the fig tree is fruitless and bare.

A. B. SIMPSON

Notable Quotable

“It would be hard to surpass this evocative description of the fertile earth, culminating in the fantasy of hills and fields making merry together.”

DEREK KIDNER