Psalm Meditation 534
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 12, 2010

Psalm 61
1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I;
3 for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me abide in your tent forever, find refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8 So I will always sing praises to your name, as I pay my vows day after day.
(NRSV)

God is a great place to turn in times of trouble, a fortress against the onslaught of stresses and strains that accompany problem situations. In normal times we are content to leave God in the background waiting for the next crisis. We know God is there we simply don’t let God’s presence make a difference in the choices and decisions we make on a daily basis. We know that if it doesn’t turn out well we can go running to God and it will suddenly be all better because God is there to fix it for us.

There are folks, and you may be one of them, for whom the relationship with God is a daily source of sustenance. These are the folks who spend time with God, who find sustenance in God’s presence and who allow God to make a difference in the choices they make. They find their lives influenced by God’s presence and are not content expecting God to follow them around to clean up the messes they make of their lives. God is a regular part of every day in their lives.

The folks with an abiding sense of the presence of God in their lives find themselves asking God to bless folks both within and outside their circle of influence. They bless folks they love, folks with whom they are familiar as well as those with whom they disagree on any number of things. They recognize that imperfections are a part of our human condition and that none of us is free from guilt in some degree. The most important part of the day for these folks is the time they spend in the presence of God singing praises and deepening the relationship with God that is so much a part of their lives that it spills into every other relationship of their lives.

© September 7, 2010