Gladdening Work (Psalm 92:4)

 


Wednesday, 10 December, 2025


Psalms 92; 93

Isaiah 44:24-45:8

2 Thessalonians 2


Gladdening Work (Psalm 92:4)


For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
    at the works of your hands I sing for joy.


When someone else does a good job, and we appreciate what they have done, how often do we feel a pure joy at it? How honestly can we say that, on occasion, we might not be tempted to be at least a little bit jealous that it was them, and not us? Or, that if we had done it, we might have done it better?


The 92nd Psalm seems, at first, to be a song about how God has done a really good job at rescuing the singer. I say “at first” because this Psalm, like plenty others, starts to seem a little Messianic in successive readings. As Christians, we may start to recognise some resurrection themes in here, and think to ourselves what a jolly good way of putting into words how we feel about Jesus’ promise to raise us on the last day. And that is true!


But we might go one level deeper, and recognise that our resurrection is entirely dependent upon, and thanks to, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In handing the Son every created thing, the Father has “exalted [his] horn like that of the wild ox” (poetry for glorification), and “poured over [him] fresh oil” (more poetry, this time for the coronation of a monarch). Our salvation is entirely thanks to the work that God has done in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and in the handing over of all creation to the beloved Son for an eternal kingdom.


Does this work of God, over which we had no influence, yet is to our ultimate benefit, make us glad?


Lord our rock, in whom there is no unrighteousness, who in every work makes the heavens rejoice in wonder: give us humble hearts to offer you thanksgiving unblemished by any human influence, that we may not be trapped in jealousy, but rather sing for joy.

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