Listen

Heaven has proclaimed God’s righteousness, and all nations have seen his glory. All those who worship images, those who are proud of idols, are put to shame. All gods bow down to the Lord! Zion has heard and celebrates, the towns of Judah rejoice, because of your acts of justice, Lord, because you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth, because you are so superior to all other gods.

Psalm 97:6-9

Think

The psalmist refers to “those who worship images” and “those who are proud of idols.” Human history is full of “little g”-god stories, from all around the globe and across thousands of years. And history is also full of stories of people living with — and trying to keep on the good side of and sometimes just plain putting up with — their gods. Many of these stories are stories of  supply and demand: if humans want to be supplied with good things, the gods demand sacrifices and groveling and catering to all their divine whims. The psalmist would have been familiar with such stories.

But the One God, the Most High, the Lord — is no spoiled child, no selfish celebrity surrounded by minions. God didn’t provide pointless images to worship or shiny idols to be proud of. Instead, as the psalmist says, God gave us a real-life reason for our praise: Justice. Making all things right.

God supplies acts of righteous justice for all the earth and for all time, so the whole beloved creation celebrates! God doesn’t need to demand our worship, because we cannot help but rejoice!

Nikki Finkelstein-Blair

Pray

God, Lord, you are Most High, far above all the spoiled and selfish gods we humans make for ourselves. You are just and good and compassionate, and we worship you! Amen.

Go

Listen: God, the Most High, is speaking!

Look: God, the Most High, is working!

Say Yes: God, the Most High, is inviting us to hear, to see, to join in!