Showing posts with label Psalm 5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 5. Show all posts
Monday, March 17, 2025
Psalm Meditation 1292
¶Third Sunday in Lent
¶March 23, 2025
¶Psalm 5
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%205&version=NRSVUE
(NRSVUE)
¶We are perfectly content to know that the steadfast love of God is what will get us into the eternal presence of God. Yes, we have done silly, stupid, maybe even illegal things however God loves us because we do our best to follow, most of the time. We take refuge in God. Sometimes that means we know that God has us wrapped up in a divine embrace to keep us as close as we want to be. It can also mean that we run to God every time we feel threatened or bullied by other folks. God’s steadfast love will protect us from all the people we don’t like
¶All of the people we don’t like are purposely belligerent, and anti-God all of the time. If they join us in worship we see that they are ‘just going through the motions and don’t really mean any of it. They are only making a show and sham of religion to look good to the gullible folks around them who think they are wonderful and righteous.’ We know that they can’t be included in God’s steadfast love because we don’t like them or trust them. God’s love can’t possibly extend beyond the limits that we set for our love and concern.
¶I believe that God’s love is not dependent on my actions. God’s love is steadfast, firmly loyal or constant. It is not swayed or influenced by anything I do or say, for good or ill. I also believe that those who consciously move toward God on a regular basis are more likely to experience God’s love than those who don’t. That does not mean that those of us who feel God’s love are more loved than those who don’t, only that we are aware of how much God loves each one of us. It also means that God can be frustrated, disappointed, and annoyed with us, all while loving us more than we can know.
¶March 17, 2025
¶LCM
Monday, April 11, 2022
Psalm Meditation 1139
¶Easter
¶April 17, 2022
¶Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield.
(NRSV)
¶The problem I see in this psalm, at least this time through, is the willingness of the psalmist to make righteousness a contest. ‘I am so much better than all of those other people because I depend on your righteousness and all of those other folks depend on lies, destruction, and flattery.’ When I judge myself by my internal intentions and judge others by their actions I have set up a situation in which I win and you lose—every time.
¶That might be okay if God only listens to me and my opinions on who is evil and who is good. The difficulty is that God knows the heart of each of us, our intentions, rationalizations, and excuses for why I should have favored status with God while everyone else deserves harsh judgment. So, while I believe you deserve to be punished and I deserve leniency because my heart was right even though things didn’t work the way I wanted them to, you believe that you deserve credit for intention and I deserve punishment for my actions.
¶Perhaps each of us has missed something in the life and heart of the other. So, instead of making righteousness a contest, we each could concern ourselves with our own actions and intentions. In the event we are in a position to judge another we do well to do it with as much mercy and grace as we would hope to receive ourselves. “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield.”
¶April 11, 2022
¶LCM
Monday, September 30, 2019
Psalm Meditation 1007
Proper 22
October 6, 2019
Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield.
(NRSV)
We are better at recognizing when those around us do things to earn their place in the presence of God. We might not be as good at seeing that at work in our lives. When we do something because we should, we are trying to earn someone else’s love and respect. One of my teachers said that ‘should, ought, must, and supposed to,’ rise from external influence. We do those things because someone else is driving our decision making. It could be family, friend, or boss who is pressing us to do what they want done. If we are acting because we feel as if God is pushing us, we are attempting to earn God’s love.
The other side of the expectation list is, ‘want, wish, hope, desire, and feel like’ doing things. This side of the list is from internal influence. We act because there is something within us drives our action. In between the two lists is, ‘need to, and have to.’ We ‘need to’ do something because of external influence, ‘should...’, or from something inside us, ‘want…’. On the ‘want’ side of the list we act from our own motivation. Gratitude rises from the ‘want’ side. In verse 7 of this psalm, the entering, bowing, and awe in the temple are responses to the steadfast love of God. The response is not demanded by God, it is the psalmist’s heartfelt desire in the experience of God’s love.
There are days in which we serve God and others out of sense of duty, because we can’t find the motivation within ourselves. Most days we serve God because there is something within us that is looking for a way to offer our joy and gratitude as a response to all that God does for us. The psalmist enters the temple in response to God’s steadfast love rather than out of a sense of obligation, as a way to earn the love of God. Worship and service done out of obligation leads to resentment and burn out. Worship and service done in response to God’s love leads to rejoicing, blessing, and awe.
September 30, 2019
LCM
Proper 22
October 6, 2019
Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield.
(NRSV)
We are better at recognizing when those around us do things to earn their place in the presence of God. We might not be as good at seeing that at work in our lives. When we do something because we should, we are trying to earn someone else’s love and respect. One of my teachers said that ‘should, ought, must, and supposed to,’ rise from external influence. We do those things because someone else is driving our decision making. It could be family, friend, or boss who is pressing us to do what they want done. If we are acting because we feel as if God is pushing us, we are attempting to earn God’s love.
The other side of the expectation list is, ‘want, wish, hope, desire, and feel like’ doing things. This side of the list is from internal influence. We act because there is something within us drives our action. In between the two lists is, ‘need to, and have to.’ We ‘need to’ do something because of external influence, ‘should...’, or from something inside us, ‘want…’. On the ‘want’ side of the list we act from our own motivation. Gratitude rises from the ‘want’ side. In verse 7 of this psalm, the entering, bowing, and awe in the temple are responses to the steadfast love of God. The response is not demanded by God, it is the psalmist’s heartfelt desire in the experience of God’s love.
There are days in which we serve God and others out of sense of duty, because we can’t find the motivation within ourselves. Most days we serve God because there is something within us that is looking for a way to offer our joy and gratitude as a response to all that God does for us. The psalmist enters the temple in response to God’s steadfast love rather than out of a sense of obligation, as a way to earn the love of God. Worship and service done out of obligation leads to resentment and burn out. Worship and service done in response to God’s love leads to rejoicing, blessing, and awe.
September 30, 2019
LCM
Monday, January 7, 2019
Psalm Meditation 969
Baptism of the Lord
January 13, 2019
Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover them with favor as with a shield.
(NRSV)
Most of us believe that the world is fair, at least most of the time. We believe that we deserve what we get and that we get what we deserve in terms of reward and punishment. When things do not work out the way they should we are hurt and angry. When ‘those’ people win and our people lose we are doubly upset by the unfairness of it all. The psalmist knows that evildoers will be caught and punished, eventually. We join the psalmist in knowing that those who are mean spirited and selfish will get caught up in the web of their own making at some point. We may say that we know the world is not fair, and we will comfort or confront people with the words, “life is not fair.” but we continue to believe that life is, or should be, fair; if not in every instance, in the long run anyway.
The psalmist is of an era in which God actively rewards and punishes people and groups according to their actions. A big part of the reason that life is fair in the first place is because God watches over us, keeps score for us, and evens the playing field when it becomes necessary. God punishes the bad people when their evil deeds get out of hand. God rewards us good people when we have gone without for long enough. If we wait long enough everything will work out for good people as the bad people receive the punishment God has reserved for them.
What if God loves us and chooses to be with us no matter what rather than standing apart as an impartial judge and referee. When things go well, God is there to celebrate with us. When things go badly, God is there to give us comfort. God does not change the rules to make things easier for the good guys. God allows things to play out, knowing that the rewards and punishments are built in. My dad taught me to be a short range pessimist and a long range optimist. Things won't always work out in the day to day scheme of things, however, eventually things work out.
January 7, 2019
LCM
Baptism of the Lord
January 13, 2019
Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover them with favor as with a shield.
(NRSV)
Most of us believe that the world is fair, at least most of the time. We believe that we deserve what we get and that we get what we deserve in terms of reward and punishment. When things do not work out the way they should we are hurt and angry. When ‘those’ people win and our people lose we are doubly upset by the unfairness of it all. The psalmist knows that evildoers will be caught and punished, eventually. We join the psalmist in knowing that those who are mean spirited and selfish will get caught up in the web of their own making at some point. We may say that we know the world is not fair, and we will comfort or confront people with the words, “life is not fair.” but we continue to believe that life is, or should be, fair; if not in every instance, in the long run anyway.
The psalmist is of an era in which God actively rewards and punishes people and groups according to their actions. A big part of the reason that life is fair in the first place is because God watches over us, keeps score for us, and evens the playing field when it becomes necessary. God punishes the bad people when their evil deeds get out of hand. God rewards us good people when we have gone without for long enough. If we wait long enough everything will work out for good people as the bad people receive the punishment God has reserved for them.
What if God loves us and chooses to be with us no matter what rather than standing apart as an impartial judge and referee. When things go well, God is there to celebrate with us. When things go badly, God is there to give us comfort. God does not change the rules to make things easier for the good guys. God allows things to play out, knowing that the rewards and punishments are built in. My dad taught me to be a short range pessimist and a long range optimist. Things won't always work out in the day to day scheme of things, however, eventually things work out.
January 7, 2019
LCM
Monday, December 23, 2013
Psalm Meditation 706
First Sunday after Christmas
December 29, 2013
Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover them with favor as with a shield.
(NRSV)
There are folks who can brag in such a way that all who hear their boasts are proud to know them. There are folks who can make humble statements in a way that folks know they are covering pride with humility. Verse 11 strikes me as a kind of test case for pride versus humility in the presence of God. For those who are genuinely humble, the emphasis will be on the refuge God offers. When they recite this verse it will sound like an invitation, letting everyone know that the refuge of God is open to any and all who will accept it with an open heart.
The folks who wear humility as a mask for their pride will make this verse sound like a weapon. They will let you know that the refuge of God is an exclusive club and that likely as not you are neither a current member of this club nor are you welcome to become one. The actual words of the verse are the same for those in both groups, it is the tone in which they are shared that makes a difference. Interestingly, the folks who make the refuge of God sound as if it were an exclusive club may not actually be members. Those who would restrict the refuge of God to people like ‘us’ against ‘them’ haven’t quite gotten the concept of the power of God’s steadfast love.
It is the steadfast love of God that makes the invitation to the refuge God offers. We have not done anything to deserve God’s love, we are invited out of God’s great love for us. The folks who make refuge in God an exclusive club are the folks who enter God’s house as if they are owners rather than as guests. The folks who live in the refuge of the steadfast love of God find themselves filled with wonder and awe as they are welcomed into God’s loving presence.
A very merry Christmas to you and yours.
December 23, 2013
First Sunday after Christmas
December 29, 2013
Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover them with favor as with a shield.
(NRSV)
There are folks who can brag in such a way that all who hear their boasts are proud to know them. There are folks who can make humble statements in a way that folks know they are covering pride with humility. Verse 11 strikes me as a kind of test case for pride versus humility in the presence of God. For those who are genuinely humble, the emphasis will be on the refuge God offers. When they recite this verse it will sound like an invitation, letting everyone know that the refuge of God is open to any and all who will accept it with an open heart.
The folks who wear humility as a mask for their pride will make this verse sound like a weapon. They will let you know that the refuge of God is an exclusive club and that likely as not you are neither a current member of this club nor are you welcome to become one. The actual words of the verse are the same for those in both groups, it is the tone in which they are shared that makes a difference. Interestingly, the folks who make the refuge of God sound as if it were an exclusive club may not actually be members. Those who would restrict the refuge of God to people like ‘us’ against ‘them’ haven’t quite gotten the concept of the power of God’s steadfast love.
It is the steadfast love of God that makes the invitation to the refuge God offers. We have not done anything to deserve God’s love, we are invited out of God’s great love for us. The folks who make refuge in God an exclusive club are the folks who enter God’s house as if they are owners rather than as guests. The folks who live in the refuge of the steadfast love of God find themselves filled with wonder and awe as they are welcomed into God’s loving presence.
A very merry Christmas to you and yours.
December 23, 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)