Psalm Meditation 1035
Second Sunday of Easter
April 19, 2020

Psalm 59
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from those who work evil; from the bloodthirsty save me.
3 Even now they lie in wait for my life; the mighty stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,
4 for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Rouse yourself, come to my help and see!
5 You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel. Awake to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah
6 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.
7 There they are, bellowing with their mouths, with sharp words on their lips—for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”
8 But you laugh at them, O Lord; you hold all the nations in derision.
9 O my strength, I will watch for you; for you, O God, are my fortress.
10 My God in his steadfast love will meet me; my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
11 Do not kill them, or my people may forget; make them totter by your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter,
13 consume them in wrath; consume them until they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah
14 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.
15 They roam about for food, and growl if they do not get their fill.
16 But I will sing of your might; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been a fortress for me and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.
(NRSV)

It can be helpful to tell God what to do, not because God will actually do all these things, but because we get our desires out in the open without acting on them right away. We want God to avenge the hurts we have received as we watch our enemies suffer a fate equal to what we suffered from them. As we talk to God we can ask for contradictory punishments for ‘them,’ such as asking that God not destroy them in verse eleven and ask for their total destruction two verses later. As we turn things over to God, we can ask for whatever consequences we like for those who toy with us.

Telling God what to do does not equate to any of that actually happening. God allows us to devise any number of scenarios to accomplish the punishment and destruction of our enemies. Talking tough to God is not a problem. God has given us this great gift, to devise solutions to our arguments and adversities. Being able to come up with a plan is not the same as carrying it out, especially if we expect God to do all the heavy lifting while we stand back and gloat over those being punished and destroyed by the power of God.

Feel free to let God know what is on your mind and in your heart. Tell God that you want a particular type of violence and destruction to be visited on those who have done evil to you. Know that God will hear you out, will listen to you until you are exhausted with planning revenge, until you forget what it is that deserves the violence you want visited on those who have hurt you. Rest assured that God will wrap you in arms of steadfast love and mercy. Most of the evil you want to happen won’t happen. “But I will sing of your might; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been a fortress for me and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.”


April 13, 2020
LCM