Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 8: Year 2
Psalm 134
1 Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, *
you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord; *
the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.
Psalm 134 is one of the two shortest Psalms in the Bible. The other is Psalm 117. Both are uplifting. Psalm 117 is all about Praising the Lord and 134 is about blessing the Lord and being blessed by the Lord, and we truly are.
These are not perhaps the most remembered Psalms but they indeed are short enough to be easily memorized. Psalm 117 is two verses and Psalm 134 is also 2 but may be three depending on the Bible you use or the Book of Common Prayer.
My point is, they are so short there is no time for wretchedness or hate for an enemy. In two or three verses there is only enough time for praising God and being blessed by God.
Many people have committed Psalm 23 (6 verses) to memory and maybe even Psalm 121 ( 8 verses and a personal favorite of mine). I also like Psalm 8 (9 verses). All of these three are around six to nine verses. Psalms 117 and 134 are 2 verses each and they will work as prayers. Let’s You and I pray them now, ok?
Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations; laud him, all you peoples.
For his loving-kindness toward us is great, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever. Hallelujah!
Psalm 134
Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord;
the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.
Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to and through the saints of God and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John
