March 7 (Third in Lent) - Psalm 63:1-8
A Psalm of David, we are told, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Indeed, O Lord, for the longing it expresses is better known by those who sense the wilderness around them, even now as he did then.
Does not my heart cry out in much the same way, with much the same language of yearning? You are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Rising early this morning to check my emails, dear God, I was greeted by a Facebook offer from a friend to sign in at a website offering all kinds of free movies. For the most part they were trash, a wilderness of promises only to entertain, to experience terror and violence and degradation. How could I who have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory profit from any of that?
Teach me, Lord, to seek you, to think on you, to cling to you in the wilderness of our times. Lead me to walk with you toward and into the only joys worth knowing, as you move toward Jerusalem and focus on giving yourself to gather us from life's wilderness into your fold. Amen.
A Psalm of David, we are told, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. Indeed, O Lord, for the longing it expresses is better known by those who sense the wilderness around them, even now as he did then.
Does not my heart cry out in much the same way, with much the same language of yearning? You are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Rising early this morning to check my emails, dear God, I was greeted by a Facebook offer from a friend to sign in at a website offering all kinds of free movies. For the most part they were trash, a wilderness of promises only to entertain, to experience terror and violence and degradation. How could I who have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory profit from any of that?
Teach me, Lord, to seek you, to think on you, to cling to you in the wilderness of our times. Lead me to walk with you toward and into the only joys worth knowing, as you move toward Jerusalem and focus on giving yourself to gather us from life's wilderness into your fold. Amen.
March 14 (Fourth in Lent) - Psalm 32
Oh to be open, Lord, as David was, to confess both my need of you and the abiding joy of those to whom you impute no iniquity, in whose spirit there is no guile. Why are we so prone to run away from you, to hide from your gracious presence rather than seek it?
Many are the torments of the wicked, David acknowledges, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
You are always ready to instruct and teach us the way we should go. Do not be like a horse or mule without understanding, you say through the psalmist. Let our stubbornness be curbed with your bit and bridle, lest we wander away from your side.
Make us to be upright in heart, and righteous. Then we will be glad in you, and rejoice with shouts of joy. Amen.
Oh to be open, Lord, as David was, to confess both my need of you and the abiding joy of those to whom you impute no iniquity, in whose spirit there is no guile. Why are we so prone to run away from you, to hide from your gracious presence rather than seek it?
Many are the torments of the wicked, David acknowledges, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
You are always ready to instruct and teach us the way we should go. Do not be like a horse or mule without understanding, you say through the psalmist. Let our stubbornness be curbed with your bit and bridle, lest we wander away from your side.
Make us to be upright in heart, and righteous. Then we will be glad in you, and rejoice with shouts of joy. Amen.
March 21 (Fourth in Lent) - Psalm 126
Longings for you, Lord, are often tied to the memory of better times in our past, when our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy. In such times it it was recognized by others, even our enemies, that the Lord has done great things for them.... And we rejoiced.
Evidently that was not so when your people were led away into captivity. Times and circumstances change, even for us--like misfortune of one kind or another, failed health, even the aging process. Then we think things are not as they once were within and among us as your people.
To whom shall we then turn but to you for restoration and hope? Restore our fortunes, O Lord.... May those who [now] sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Thank you for the promise that ends this psalm: Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. Amen.
Longings for you, Lord, are often tied to the memory of better times in our past, when our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy. In such times it it was recognized by others, even our enemies, that the Lord has done great things for them.... And we rejoiced.
Evidently that was not so when your people were led away into captivity. Times and circumstances change, even for us--like misfortune of one kind or another, failed health, even the aging process. Then we think things are not as they once were within and among us as your people.
To whom shall we then turn but to you for restoration and hope? Restore our fortunes, O Lord.... May those who [now] sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Thank you for the promise that ends this psalm: Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. Amen.
March 28 (Fifth in Lent) - Psalm 118:1,2, 19-29
Help us Lord, this Lenten season, to see our lives in greater perspective, even as Jesus did on his way to Jerusalem. Help us with the psalmist, no matter our circumstance looking forward, to Praise the Lord.... Extol him... For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
To focus on you, O God, is to live in a world above circumstance--not above the pains which your Son and we experience in life as it is, but above their enduring power. We can always pray to you in confidence and be lifted above our circumstance. Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.... This is the day [yes, this day and every day] that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Life changes for all of us, often in ways we do not like. But we can always and everywhere with the psalmist, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Amen.
Help us Lord, this Lenten season, to see our lives in greater perspective, even as Jesus did on his way to Jerusalem. Help us with the psalmist, no matter our circumstance looking forward, to Praise the Lord.... Extol him... For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
To focus on you, O God, is to live in a world above circumstance--not above the pains which your Son and we experience in life as it is, but above their enduring power. We can always pray to you in confidence and be lifted above our circumstance. Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.... This is the day [yes, this day and every day] that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Life changes for all of us, often in ways we do not like. But we can always and everywhere with the psalmist, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Amen.
