Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. - Psalms 68:19 NIV
This morning, after reading this verse, I started thinking about sentence structure—where we place commas, colons, and semicolons within a sentence, which makes us pause to reflect on meaning and inflection. If you were to read my first drafts of anything, you'd quickly know I struggle with placing them, often using too many. They need to be placed in just the right places for the correct emphasis.
By reading today's verse with long pauses at each comma, we can glean something different in the meaning. "Praise be to the Lord!" We have good reason to give God praise at all times. He blesses us with gifts beyond measure. "God our Savior," in His grace, extended redemption by taking earthly form and sacrificing Himself to atone for our sins. We praise Him for His grace and our salvation. As if He has not done enough, through His generous gifts and atonement, He "daily bears our burdens." Day in and day out, He is there to help us fight the trials and tribulations—yet another reason to praise Him.
That is my interpretation of the New International Version of this verse, but if we turn to the Hebrew: בָּרוּךְ אֲדֹנָי יוֹם יוֹם יַעֲמָס לָנוּ הָאֵל יְשׁוּעָתֵנוּ סֶּלָה, it is translated as: "Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah." (source)
Notice the slight differences:
"Blessed be the Lord" conveys a continuous state of blessing and praise to God.
"Who daily bears us up" emphasizes God's ongoing support, lifting us from our burdens.
"God is our salvation" directly ties God’s identity to our deliverance and salvation.
"Selah" invites us to pause, reflect, and meditate on these profound truths.
The Hebrew version underscores the constancy of God's support and salvation, inviting us to meditate on His unwavering presence. Combining these perspectives gives us a fuller appreciation of the verse's depth. God’s daily act of lifting us underscores His perpetual involvement in our lives—bearing our burdens and being our constant source of salvation. We encounter countless daily moments that remind us of God’s unwavering presence and support. He raises and bears our burdens, showing us His enduring love and grace.
Gracious God, we give thanks for Your grace in its many forms. We know we have not, nor cannot, do anything to earn this grace; it is given freely in love. Please help us today to remember that love and give You the praise You rightly deserve. Help us to understand the depth of Your continuous support and salvation. In Your precious name, we pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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