Wednesday, September 06, 2017
Psalm study today:
Psalm 55. Again, an appeal for
protection against enemies. The psalmist’s pain is increased because he has
been betrayed by someone who had once been his friend: “If an enemy made taunts
against me, I could bear it. If my rival had risen against me, I could hide
from him. But it is you, as my equal, my friend, whom I knew so well. . . We
walked together in harmony in the house of God.” (v 14-15)
So great is the pain of him who
sings this psalm, and there are times when we can share in that pain because we
have experienced it ourselves. If we haven’t had such an agonizing experience,
we can at least pray for someone who is writhing in pain at the very moment we
pray the psalm.
The one who cries out in pain
does so continually, placing his hope in God who he believes will hear him.
As for me, I will
cry to God,
and the Lord
will save me.
Evening,
morning, and at noon,
I will cry and lament,
and he will
hear my voice.
He will redeem
my soul in peace
in the attack
against me. (17-19a)
God always brings us to peace,
sometimes very quickly, or sometimes after an extended period of timing. But
peace is God’s aim for us. Perhaps you remember the songs of Advent which name
Jesus as the “Prince of Peace.” (from Isaiah the prophet).
Here is yet one more affirmation
of faith, one which we have come to know in our own journeys:
Entrust your
cares to the Lord,
and he will
support you.
He will never
allow
the just man to
stumble. (v. 23)
Why is it, I wonder, that we
need to be reminded of that so often, that sometimes when the going gets rough
we might momentarily forget that God is indeed holding us up, here and now, in
this place and in this particular circumstance? I am grateful to God for
sending me so many gentle assurances, day by day, especially when I read and
pray the psalms.
How about you?
God bless you!
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