Psalm Meditation 975
Seventh Sunday After Epiphany
February 24, 2019

Psalm 3
1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.” Selah
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I cry aloud to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Rise up, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Deliverance belongs to the LORD; may your blessing be on your people! Selah
(NRSV)

I am not sure which comes first, sleeplessness or worry, however one accompanies the other in a lot of cases. Things that are of little consequence in waking daylit hours suddenly become giant concerns in the dark. One drifts toward sleep only to be startled to wakefulness by a question as simple as whether or not the door is locked or as complex as the state of a loved one or the fate of the world. In the light it is a passing fancy, but in the isolation of darkness it is a monumental question that sparks fear and concern in heart and mind. Drifting off to sleep is no longer an option, it becomes a struggle fraught with obstacles and challenges.

The psalmist has ten thousand reasons to worry and one reason to let the worries be. The psalmist chooses to concentrate on the one, to concentrate on the sustaining presence of God. There are still pursuers and adversaries, however the psalmist is wrapped and held in the arms of God. Things may still go bad, people may continue to be in pursuit, even those prospects will not wrench the psalmist from the presence of God. The sheltering presence of God makes a world of difference.

The psalmist continues to be aware of the ten thousand pursuers just as we continue to be aware of our dark induced frets and worries, however there is always comfort in the presence of one who loves and supports us. To be fully aware of the presence of God in a worrisome moment gives us comfort even if nothing has changed except our recognition of the sustaining power and presence of God. “Deliverance belongs to the LORD; may your blessing be on your people!”

February 18, 2019
LCM