Psalm Meditation 853
Proper 25
October 23, 2016

Psalm 93
1 The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved;
2 your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.
4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the LORD!
5 Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.
(NRSV)

It is in our nature to be frightened by the events and occurrences around us. Sometimes we give in to our fears, sometimes we rationalize them away, sometimes we ignore them or push them to our subconscious, and other times we use them as reminders that we are people of God. We react differently depending on our circumstances at the time. Each of our reactions is an opportunity to turn to God.

We turn to God to have our needs met. When we give in to our fears we pray that they are unfounded, less fearsome than they could be and that God is with us no matter what. When we are rational in facing our fears we pray that our calculations are correct and that the abilities God has given us will be what we need to face this fear. When we ignore our fears our conscious or subconscious prayer is that we will get through this despite our fear. In each situation we trust that God is with us in the midst of our fearful situation.

The psalmist uses fear as a reminder that God is bigger than any fear we may face. The fearful situation may overwhelm and overcome us, however we will continue to be held in the presence of God. In the midst of a terrifying flood, the psalmist announces that God is bigger than the flood. We may be swept away in the rising water but God will stand firm against the flood and will be with us in life and in death.

October 17, 2016
LCM