We give you thanks, O God.
We give you thanks,
calling upon your name and
declaring all your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 75:1
Or an alternative offered by Nan C. Merrill in the paraphrase “Psalms for Praying:”
We give thanks to You, O Beloved,
we give thanks;
We call upon your name and
recount the ways of Love.
There is something about “recounting the ways of Love” that is a refreshing phrase to reflect upon. This wording is not so much about impressive deeds of God, but about simple acts of God-inspired love….which may amount to the same thing, but seems to use a different set of lenses. A few days ago I woke up in the middle of the night rehashing a meeting in which I participated. I tried to puzzle out what was behind things that had been said or not said. In the morning, I began reading Psalm 75 but found it a struggle until I picked up Nan Merrill’s paraphrase of verse 1. Her translation offered me a new way to frame the events of the preceding day and to ask where I had seen Love enacted, even during the troubling meeting. Looking at the puzzles and frustrations of the day in light of peoples’ love, passions and kindnesses was enlightening. Recounting the ways of love within a day or a meeting transforms what was discouraging or even disturbing into a cause for joy. Try it. Recount the Love you have witnessed this day and see how many surprising reasons you find to give thanks to the God who works by way of Love.
Suggestions:
1. Take this verse with you and ponder its meaning for you throughout the day. What do you notice? What do you wonder? Reflect on a difficult situation and name where you saw Love at work—even if it was just a glimpse.
2. Or read all of Psalm 75 to discover how this verse fits into the psalm or to discover a different verse.
3. Or comment with a photo of your own that illustrates this verse’s meaning for you.
Tomorrow’s verse is from Psalm 76:11.
Starting January 1, 2016, for 150 days I am posting a daily psalm verse with a photo that is a visual meditation on the text for me. Each day a verse from the next psalm is chosen until all 150 psalms have been featured. To participate you may subscribe to my blog at https://elainedent.net or “friend” me on Facebook and watch for the daily links to blog posts. Disclaimer: I am not a photographer and most of the photos are from a cell phone or small camera while hiking the Appalachian Trail or the C&O Canal/Great Allegheny Passage Trail.
Melissa says
Gratitude is how I often think of this!