Psalm Meditation 670
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2013

Psalm 118
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 With the LORD on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?
7 The LORD is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in mortals.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.
15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly;
16 the right hand of the LORD is exalted; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.
18 The LORD has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.
29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)

When we reach the point at which we are ready to give up, it is good to remember that the love of God is all around us, to build us up and sustain us through any and all situations. When we have fought off all the challenges and trials, and are left drained by the effort, God is there. When we stand victorious in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, God is there. When we feel beat up and broken, God is there. In all our battles, win or lose, God is there, loving us and holding us up.

At the end of those days in which we have been busy all day and have nothing to show for it, the day is a gift from God and the effort has not been wasted even if we are not aware what has been accomplished. On those days when we have done nothing, that day too is a gift from God and we can rejoice that we are in the presence of God. At some point in each day we do well to take a moment to recognize the presence of God in our lives, and the lives of those around us so that we can rejoice in God’s presence no matter what the day may hold for us.

On those days in which we feel as if we have been non productive, and on those days we feel as if we have been counter productive, it is possible that we have, through the agency of God, touched someone or done something that will make a positive difference in some small way. A life may be changed, a bridge may be built, a future may be altered by some word or act of ours that went by unnoticed by us and yet deeply touched another. And if we really were non productive or counter productive it can serve as a reminder that creation is not dependent on our constant store of productivity in order to function. Do we make a difference in the world? Yes. Does the world require our constant vigilance and activity in order to turn and function? No. God is the one who makes the world go round. God is the one who loves us beyond measure. Rejoice and be glad.

April 15, 2013