Psalms 134:1-3: a reflection

This brief psalm calls the servants of the LORD who minister by night in his house to bless him: Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD; lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. It is a call to worship in the night, to bless God in the quiet, dark, unseen hours; the faithful who serve through the night are summoned to praise God even then, in the hidden watches when others sleep.

Notice when this praise is offered: by night, in the quiet, hidden hours. The servants addressed here ministered through the night, in the dark, unseen by the crowds; and they are called to praise God even then, lifting up their hands to bless him in the night watches. Praise is not only for the bright, public daytime hours; it is for the night too, the quiet, hidden times, when the faithful bless God even in the dark, unseen by others.

That call to praise God in the night is worth taking to heart, for we can think of worship as belonging only to the bright, public, visible times, and neglect it in the dark, hidden hours. But God is to be praised in the night too, in the quiet, unseen watches, the dark stretches of our lives. When you are in a night season, a dark, quiet, hidden time, unseen by others, do not think praise belongs only to the bright times; bless God even in the night, lifting up your hands to praise him in the dark watches. The servants who ministered by night were called to praise God even then; praise God in your own night seasons, in the quiet, hidden hours, when it is dark and no one sees. Worship belongs to the night as well as the day; bless the LORD even in the hidden watches, praising him in the dark and quiet times as well as the bright and public ones, as these servants were called to praise him by night in the house of the LORD.