Psalm Meditation 606
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
January 29, 2012

Psalm 135
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 you that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for he is gracious.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great; our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both human beings and animals;
9 he sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people, and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see;
17 they have ears, but they do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them and all who trust them shall become like them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord! O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord! You that fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion, he who resides in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
(NRSV)

In the midst of feeling weighed down by the cares of the world, it can be helpful to remember, to know, that someone cares for us and loves us deeply. The psalmist begins by reminding us that we are a people set apart for a special relationship with our God, Yahweh. This God, our God, is not bound by constraints of any kind. This is the God who brings rain, who watches over us and provides for us in a variety of ways.

If God can do all that, certainly God can deliver us from this situation. At the very least, God will be with us, feeling our hurts and offering us compassion in the midst of this series of events. Perhaps it is the presence of the living God that is more important than any power God might use among us. To know that God chooses to be with us in all times and all places is a source of great comfort, especially in times of need.

Certainly, there are times when it seems better to be in the presence of a flesh and blood person in times of need. To have a visual assurance that we are not alone is a source of great comfort. When folks bring the presence of God in their own lives to meet the presence of God in our lives we are more deeply comforted than by flesh and blood alone. No matter what, God is with us.

© January 23, 2012