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Morning Meditation
September 12, 2026
John Henry Hobart
Reading: Psalm 92: 1-7
1 It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, *
and to sing praises to your Name, O Most High;
2 To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning *
and of your faithfulness in the night season;
3 On the psaltery, and on the lyre, *
and to the melody of the harp.
4 For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord; *
and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands.
5 Lord, how great are your works! *
your thoughts are very deep.
6 The dullard does not know,
nor does the fool understand, *
that though the wicked grow like weeds,
and all the workers of iniquity flourish,
7 They flourish only to be destroyed for ever; *
but you, O Lord, are exalted for evermore.
Meditation by Jo Ann B. Jones
It seems so certain. No one faithful to God would doubt that it is good to give thanks to God. A full heart opens to the outpouring of gratitude. This sets the positive tone for the whole psalm and is a worthy reminder of the value of worship that is the basis of thanksgiving and praise for God’s “steadfast love” and “faithfulness.”
Our praise is unceasing for God’s constant work, the work that his hands craft. The general term, craft, allows for worshipers to think of many different ways that God’s work on our behalf arouses our thanks and praise. What are the blessings that provoke this expression? It may not be necessary to be specific, for the language calls us all to note our blessing and to give thanks. I have always said about writing thank you notes and this is also true of expressing one thanks orally - I am able to re-experience that for which I am thankful. The gift continues to enrich my life. It’s marvelous to have this awareness of how extensive the gift’s effect is.
The passage has drawn my attention to the opening of the Eucharistic Prayer A:
Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
People: And with thy spirit.
Celebrant: Lift up your hearts
People: We lift them up unto the Lord.
Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord Our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Celebrant: It is right and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
There is a certain intensity in these words. They are confined to the Eucharist for they remind the church that the true action of the eucharist occurs beyond time, in the age to come. For in the age to come we will realize fully the power and richness of God’s grace and love. All the more reason for the Psalmist to declare despite the work of the “evildoers” the Psalmist exclaims that God is to be praised for ever. The celebration of the Eucharist each week underscores this exclamation. Surely, this should arouse trust and inspire thanksgiving for God’s vigilance, constancy and love.
In these days of remembrance and contemplation arising from the twenty-fifth anniversary of September 11, 2001 the power of God’s love and forgiveness cannot be doubted nor taken for granted. The extent of God’s love and forgiveness exceed any type of “measurement” that the human mind could possibly craft. It truly is the work of giving thanks; that work which is not bound by any type of measurement. The corporate expression of our thanksgiving offers some sense of how boundless and powerful God’s love is. That is truly amazing.
A Thanksgiving for Life Within The Church
Grant us, O Lord, to receive with grateful hearts and with attentive minds all that you would give us. Make us to know your grace and to believe your promises, to offer with generosity all that you ask of us and to follow where you lead, into lives of service and an eternity of joy in your presence. Amen.
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