Psalm Meditation 961
Proper 28
November 18, 2018

Psalm 57
1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by.
2 I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3 He will send from heaven and save me, he will put to shame those who trample on me. Selah God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.
4 I lie down among lions that greedily devour human prey; their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.
6 They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my path, but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make melody.
8 Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn.
9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10 For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.
(NRSV)

Children have a habit of looking parents in the eye as they break the rules they have been given. I have discovered they do the same thing to grandparents. It is annoying, to say the least, and can be dangerous depending on the rule. They can test our promises of love and protection in the same way. When the psalmist writes, “I lie down among lions that greedily devour human prey;” I know there are those who have done that in order to see if God will rescue them.

One of my professors in seminary opened a class session with the question, “As parents, how do you know you have lost control of your children?” None of us answered because we didn’t want to admit that we ever lost control of our children so he answered his own question. “You know you have lost control when you have to reach out and physically restrain your children.” He continued, “God does not lose control.” If we happen to lie down among lions, or are forced to lie down among them, God will be with us. If we choose to lie down among lions in order to test God’s presence, God will be with us. No matter what, there will be consequences. God is with us. That does not mean we will be delivered from the consequences of our actions.

The love of God reaches from the heights to the depths and on every side of us. We can doubt it and ignore it. We can test it to disprove it. We can test it until we learn to trust it. No matter what, God is with us, offering us steadfast love and presence. God does not save us by snatching us out of harm’s way, God saves us by being with us and loving us in every situation in which we find ourselves. “For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.”


November 12, 2018
LCM