Faith Daily Lectio Saturday, October 17, 2026 Morning Psalm
Saturday, October 17, 2026 · Saturday in the week of the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23); Ignatius of Antioch, Pastor and Martyr
Morning Psalm
Oratio (prayer)
Lord God, our Maker and our King, send Your Holy Spirit as I pray Psalm 149, that I may join Your saints in a new song and rejoice that You take pleasure in Your people. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Meditatio (meditation)
Psalm 149
1Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
2Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
4For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
5Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
6Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;
7To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
8To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
9To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.
Consider even rereading in another translation.
You could also consider listening to this chapter, narrated:
KJV (Max McLean) · ESV (Max McLean) · NIV (dramatized)
You might read the whole reading slowly, aloud, more than once.
Consider this verse, for example:
“For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.” (Psalm 149:4)
What other lines speak to you?
The Law The Psalm speaks of "the judgment written" (v. 9) upon the heathen and their kings. God's judgment on sin is real. Left to ourselves we would stand with the proud, not with the meek, and we have often sung our own praises instead of His.
The Gospel "For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation" (v. 4). God is not grudging toward you. In Jesus He clothes you with salvation, His own righteousness, and calls you one of His saints. That is why we can "Sing unto the LORD a new song" (v. 1).
Prayer Lord, I confess my pride and my silence when I should praise You. Forgive me for Jesus' sake. Thank You for taking pleasure in Your people and beautifying the meek with salvation. Put a new song in my mouth today. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Tentatio (trial)
It is not always easy to believe that God takes pleasure in us. Guilt, weakness, or a hard week can make us feel like a burden to Him. The Psalm points us away from our feelings to His promise. Even "upon their beds" (v. 5), in sleepless or sick hours, His saints may be joyful, because their glory is His gift. In trial it may help to remember that His pleasure in you rests on Christ, not on how strong you feel.
Prayer Gracious God, when I feel unworthy of Your love, remind me that You take pleasure in Your people for Jesus' sake. Clothe me again with Your salvation, and keep me joyful in You, even in the night. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version.
My church home: Peace Lutheran Church, McMurray, PA. Looking for a church? See About Daily Lectio.
