Psalm Meditation 1336 ¶Third Sunday After Epiphany ¶January 25, 2026 ¶Psalm 42 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2042&version=NRSVUE ¶People outside the Abrahamic faiths seem to think that if God, YHWH, comes to our aid it will be in a dramatic and readily visible way, with clouds and winds and giant chariots able to withstand even modern tanks and fighter jets. Their rhetoric is so convincing that some folks in Abrahamic faiths begin to believe that God will come in that way also. We have gotten used to the idea that anything from God has to be dramatic and awesome. Scripture, history, and experience tell a different story. ¶Events may seem dramatic to those who are in the midst of it, however they can almost always be pooh poohed away by those who want to doubt that God is active in our lives, let alone that God exists. For the most part God stays in the background, offering hope, and courage to those who need a prod in the direction of “positive peace, the presence of justice” MLKJ 1963. God stands at the front lines, the picket lines, the bread lines, etc. to be present with those who take a stand for grace, mercy, peace, and justice in the face of tyranny, oppression, might makes right authoritarianism, and other forms of injustice. ¶The psalmist is still ‘cast down’ however not without hope. Remembering all the ways that God has been active in the psalmist’s life and the struggles of the people and nation serves to lift spirits in the face of adversity. While the psalmist hopes that God will intervene in some direct and visible way, God tends to infuse hope, courage, and perseverance into those who live in the ways that lead to God, YHWH. ¶January 19, 2026 ¶LCM