Lesson 7, Series 2, Psalm 65, Lectio Divina

Psalm 65  (NLT)

¹ What mighty praise, O God,
belongs to you in Zion.
We will fulfill our vows to you,
²     for you answer our prayers.
All of us must come to you.
³ Though we are overwhelmed by our sins,
you forgive them all.
⁴ What joy for those you choose to bring near,
those who live in your holy courts.
What festivities await us
inside your holy Temple.

⁵ You 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.
⁶ You formed the mountains by your power
and armed yourself with mighty strength.
⁷ You quieted the raging oceans
with their pounding waves
and silenced the shouting of the nations.
⁸ Those who live at the ends of the earth
stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets,
you inspire shouts of joy.

⁹ You take care of the earth and water it,
making it rich and fertile.
The river of God has plenty of water;
it provides a bountiful harvest of grain,
for you have ordered it so.
¹⁰ You drench the plowed ground with rain,
melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers
and bless its abundant crops.
¹¹ You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;
even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
¹² The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture,
and the hillsides blossom with joy.
¹³ The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,
and the valleys are carpeted with grain.
They all shout and sing for joy!

Preparation:  Sit in a quiet, comfortable spot—preferably outside or near a window with a view.  Spend a few moments pondering these words from verse 5:

  You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,
O God our savior.
You are the hope of everyone on earth.

Lectio:  Read through Psalm 65 in its entirety, aloud if possible.  As you read through a second time, highlight in your Bible or write in your journal the words and phrases that stand out to you.  Take notice of the cosmic nature of this Psalm.

Meditatio:  Spend a few minutes meditating on the words and phrases that spoke to you.  Repeat them until they become familiar to you.  Consider what God may be saying to you through these words for your situation today.

Oratio:  As you pray, acknowledge God’s greatness as Creator of all the earth, and Provider for all of creation.

Contemplatio:  As you rest in the goodness of God, give thanks and bask in the knowledge that the God of all creation loves you and cares about your life.