Psalm Meditation 1023
Third Sunday After Epiphany
January 26, 2020

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)

Many years ago a classmate asked if our children ever sat on the arm of the couch and leaned back to see if we would catch them before they hit the floor. When those of us whose children were younger said it had not happened, he assured us that it would. I do not recall that ever happening with our children. The issue is trust. Did his children need to know if he could be trusted to be there for them, did our children trust us enough that they felt no need to test us?

The psalmist writes about trusting in God. The psalmist trusts God to be there in times of need. Testing God is not necessary; past experience is sufficient proof of God’s willingness to be present with and for us. In the Gospel accounts of the temptations Jesus reminds us that we do well to refrain from putting God to the test. When the psalmist lies down among lions, it is a reality rather than a test of God’s presence. And because God is a faithful protector, the psalmist is alive to tell of the experience.

There are folks who test God with some regularity. As they wait for a word or sign from God they take things into their own hands by risking their own life and limb as well as the lives of others. God does not watch over us because we deserve it, God watches over us out of love and concern for us. Sometimes that means protecting us from harm, other times it means being with us as we suffer the consequences of our actions or those of others. God loves us and is worthy of the refrain, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.”

January 20, 2020
LCM