Psalm 65 – Praise Awaits
In Psalm 65 – praise awaits, what is it waiting for? Why would praise wait before speaking? Is there a reason to think first? What can we learn about praise from Psalm 65?
Psalm 65
Psalm 65 – praise awaits, begins with the words, “Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion.”
As one commentator states, “The psalmist David described a wonderful picture, the idea that praise was waiting to be given unto God in Jerusalem. The sense is that when God came to meet His people, He would be received in an atmosphere of praise.” (Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 65)
The word awaits comes from the root meaning to be silent. Other translations are, “There will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, God.” (NASB) “You are praised with silence in Zion, O God.” (God’s word) and, “In Zion, God, praise silently awaits you.” (International Standard) So praise waits in silence.
Reasons to Praise
The psalm goes on to state all the reasons to praise God.
God answers prayers and forgives sins:
“You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.
When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.
Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.” (2-4)
All the earth is full of God’s wonders: “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” (8)
God cares for the land, provides water and food.
“You care for the land and water it, you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops.”
“For people in that place and day, the coming of abundant rains to water the crops was literally the blessing of life rather than death. It is hard for most of us today to fully appreciate that.” (Boice) (Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 65)
God provides bounty, food in abundance.
“You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.” (9-13)
The psalm ends with the beautiful image of hills clothed in gladness, meadows filled with flocks, and valleys dressed with grain. All shout and sing praise to God.
Why Does Praise Await?
But what about the question in Psalm 65 – praise awaits? Why does praise await? Yes, it is good to pause before speaking, to think about what you are about to say, especially if in a situation of conflict where emotions are high. But when speaking praise why would you need to wait? There is no concern about offending anyone.
Sometimes, though, there are no words adequate to express the depth of wonder and awe before our God. No words to express our gratitude. And so, we sit in silent gratitude until we find the words. And if that doesn’t happen, that’s okay.
You can praise God in silence as well as words. God’s glory is so great, there are no words! All words are inadequate.
As some commentators state:
- “This does not mean that there is no praise, but on the contrary that praise is so complete that at first it can find no utterance.” (Morgan)
- “Literally, ‘Praise is silence for thee’…. It may sometimes be the height of worship, in other words, to fall silent before God in awe at His presence and in submission to His will.” (Kidner)
- “Certainly, when the soul is most filled with adoring awe, she is least content with her own expressions, and feels most deeply how inadequate are all mortal songs to proclaim the divine goodness.” (Spurgeon) (Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 65)
Psalm 65 – Praise Awaits
So why did David wait? As another commentator stated: “David sat in silence before praising God and promising to fulfill his vows. David wrote many psalms of praise. But he knew that meaningful praise sometimes required him to first sit in silent submission to reflect on God’s faithfulness.” (Psalm 65: Lessons Regarding the Blessings Available Through Faith in Jesus and Reasons for You to Praise Him)
And yet, there is a time to wait and a time to praise. While sometimes it is good to wait, you don’t have to wait to sing God’s praises. You don’t have to wait for God to fulfill God’s promises or answer your prayers. You don’t have to wait until life is good and you feel joyful and full of praise.
One of the many beauties of the Psalms is that the writers often thank God in advance for answering prayers. We can also praise God regardless of our circumstances, even while in dark places. Psalm 65 – praise awaits, reminds us, our God is good and worthy of our praise. So whether we praise God in words or silence, our God deserves our praise.
What about you? How do you praise God?
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 65: God Will Not Be Outdone! – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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