This short little Psalm of only three verses completes the fifteen Psalms of Ascent recorded in scripture. It was a Psalm of blessing for the Levites who served as Temple watchmen. The worshippers would ascend the hill where the Temple was located and see the watchmen who protected it day and night. They saw the watchman's work as an act of praise to God, done reverently and responsibly.
Our work should also be done in praise to God. We need to honour Him by the quality of our work and attitude of service we bring to it. Just as the travelers had reached their destination physically and responded in worship, all our journey and journey ends should be filled with praise.
It does not escape my notice that these servants were working at night. Night-time. Probably the hardest time to be alert and productive physically. But what about nights of the soul? How easy is it to praise and lift hands in worship during the dark seasons of life?
"It is comparatively easy to bless the Lord in the daytime, when sunshine lies like His smile on nature, and all the world is full of music, and our lives flow on quietly and peacefully. It does not take much grace to bless the Lord then. But when night has draped the earth and hushed the homes of men to solitude, and we stand amid the shadows that lurk around us in the sanctuary, facing the inexplicable mysteries of Providence, of history, of life and death; then the song falters on our lips, and chokes our utterance." (Meyer)
"One of the dearest treasures in your darkness will be the God-son He will give you if you'll receive it. To stand in the presence of the Lord when you'd rather go to bed and never get up, and to praise Him in the night when taunting voices tell you to curse Him - these things are nothing less than a battle cry of victory."
We need to praise the Lord when we least feel like it. The moment we feel defeated is the very second we need to begin to praise. When we have the slightest inclination to praise, is when we need to lift our voice the most. "A true Psalmist praises his way to victory, knowing it will come because the praise itself renders the first blow to his enemy's brow."
"Worship has endless side effects in the life of the everyday psalmist. Among the, it exalts God to the highest place, thereby relieving the sojourner of the backbreaking burden of ego It defeats our enemy. It answers grace with gratitude. And it ends in joy." "Yes, as the psalmist said joy cometh in the morning (Ps 30:5 KJV), but the very anticipation invites it into our night."
Today, we can invite joy into our night watches by lifting praise, knowing God's presence with us and anticipating His arrival. Over 2000 years ago Christ's light burst into the darkness, and as we worship He is still changing darkness to light.
All quotes not identified: Stepping Up, a journey through the Psalms of Ascent; Beth Moore; Lifeway Publishing; copyright 2007
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