Psalm Meditation 1033
Palm/Passion Sunday
April 5, 2020

Psalm 34
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.
9 O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want.
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all.
20 He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
(NRSV)

We are tempted to believe that ours is the worst time ever. There is more death, destruction, sin, and pestilence than ever before. What makes this interesting is that every time has seen their time as the worst ever. What that likely means is that humans have a dependable mix of good and evil in ourselves as individuals and as a group. As new methods of discovering and spreading news of human activity begin, we think we have found new ways to sin. In reality, we have uncovered things that have always gone on.

The psalmist is not here to dispute or even point out the variety of ways that humans sin, the psalmist is here to encourage us to focus and concentrate on God. Yes, there is sin and evil in the world and it is always good to have an awareness of what is going on around us. However, if you want to have a good and long life, it is better to have your attention on God and on the ways of God. When asked what has contributed to their long life, centenarians answer with things that have given them joy and pleasure. Those things may not be good for them, but the joy they bring to their lives is.

Want to live a good, long life? Find things that give you joy and pleasure, and practice those with all the gusto possible. Want to live a good, long life in the presence of God? “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” If you follow the psalmist’s advice because you should, very likely you will be miserable through your life. If you find joy in doing good, seeking peace, and pursuing it, you will be able to, “taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.”


March 30, 2020
LCM