Psalm Meditation 610
First Sunday in Lent
February 26, 2012

Psalm 106:1-13,44-48
1 Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord, or declare all his praise?
3 Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7 Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, so that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry; he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.
47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, "Amen." Praise the Lord!
(NRSV)

The verses edited out for space tell other instances of God’s people going off on their own way because they forgot that God could be trusted to watch over them. The stories are from the time of the exodus from Egypt as well as from the early years of living in the Promised Land. The people would do something that tried the patience of God as they chose to act as if the way of God did not make a difference, as if God could not provide for them. When they got caught in situations in which there was no good way out, they would cry out for God to save them from themselves and their actions. And when they asked, God acted to help them in their need.

The psalmist goes back to the exodus to remind us that God has been with us for a long time, leading us, protecting us, saving us from our foolishness that is sometimes accidental and sometimes purposeful. When we do find that we have wandered off and are separated from God, it is tempting to believe we have to do something to get back into the realm of God. The psalmist tells us that all we need to do is ask.

Being in the presence of God is not something we control, we can’t plead, or buy, or work our way into a closer relationship with God. We trust in God and lean on the steadfast love God has offered from the beginning. Do things always work out in our favor? No. Is it always better to trust God than to go off on our own? Yes. God is with us in all times and places. It is up to us to notice and appreciate the abiding presence of God.

© February 20, 2012