Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
Psalm 134:1-2 NIV
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the LORD.
This psalm is a call to offer praise or blessing to God. To lift our hands in praise. We would expect to do this when we come together in worship. And that is certainly a good occasion to lift holy hands in praise to our God. But that is not the context of this psalm.
This psalm is addressed to the servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. In the context of the temple worship of ancient Israel, this is likely referring to those who were at work when most were asleep. They might equate to the night janitors—people who clean up from the previous day’s activity and prepare for the coming day. They toiled behind the scenes, ministering in obscurity. Yet they provided an essential function for the operation of the temple. And the psalmist calls on them to praise the Lord as they served in the temple.
Within every church today are those who serve in a very public fashion. But there are even more whose service is unknown to much of the church. And they may think that what they offer is of little value. But it is not. The proper functioning of the body requires all of its parts to function well and in harmony together. Wherever you minister, even in obscurity, lift your hands in praise to God. Give him your best, whatever your area of ministry.
