What Joy Awaits Us

Psalm 65:1-5

For the choir director: A psalm of David. A song.

1What mighty praise, O God,

belongs to you in Zion.

We will fulfill our vows to you,

2for you answer our prayers,

and to you all people will come.

3Though our hearts are filled with sins,

you forgive them all.

4What joy for those you choose to bring near,

those who live in your holy courts.

What joys await us

inside your holy Temple.

5You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,

O God our savior.

You are the hope of everyone on earth,

even those who sail on distant seas.

The young man finally had a dinner date with Michelle, the young woman he had adored from afar. Afterward, his mother asked him about it.

“Where did you go?”

“I don’t know,” the boy replied.

“What did you eat?”

“I don’t remember.”

“What was the restaurant like?”

“I didn’t notice.”

The mother threw up her hands. “Can you tell me anything about your date?”

“Yes,” the smitten boy answered. “Michelle was there.”

In a way, going to church should be like that for us. Ultimately our concern should not be how well the choir sang, what hymns were selected, or how good the sermon was. If God is there, that is what is most important. Psalm 65 exclaims: “What joys await us inside your holy Temple!” If that were a question, what would be your answer? The presence of God. Prayer, Bible study, worship—all these things should be motivated by our desire to meet with the Lord.

Saints below, with heart and voice,

Still in songs of praise rejoice;

Learning here, by faith and love,

Songs of praise to sing above.

NEEDHAM

A Word on Words

The Hebrew word for “forgive” in verse 3 is kaphar, meaning literally “to cover.” Think of it as God’s Wite-Out.

Notable Quotable

“The more needy we are, the greater cause there is for going to God.”

F. B. MEYER