Psalm Meditation 1079 First Sunday in Lent February 21, 2021 Psalm 17 1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit. 2 From you let my vindication come; let your eyes see the right. 3 If you try my heart, if you visit me by night, if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress. 4 As for what others do, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. 6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me, hear my words. 7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. 8 Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me. 10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11 They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground. 12 They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush. 13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them, overthrow them! By your sword deliver my life from the wicked, 14 from mortals—by your hand, O Lord—from mortals whose portion in life is in this world. May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them; may their children have more than enough; may they leave something over to their little ones. 15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness. (NRSV) One of the great things about talking to God in any form is that it opens us to conversation with God. Even the times we say we are not sure that God exists we leave ourselves open to dialogue by addressing our doubts directly to the one we currently doubt. When are secure in the presence of God we open ourselves to be confirmed and corrected in our thoughts and actions. When we are sure about what another is going through, thinking, and feeling God can remind us that we can’t know all of that. When we ‘know for a fact’ that someone is out to destroy us, God has a way of showing us that they do not even know who we are. When we see ourselves as innocent victims God demonstrates that they are moving us in a more faithful direction. While the psalmist asks to be protected and delivered from the wicked, the first request is for God to show steadfast love to those who seek refuge ‘at your right hand.’ As we participate in a conversation with God we will discover that ‘those people’ may have a point or two for us to ponder, a way of looking at a situation or the world at large that feels more fulfilling and faithful than our current path. We may find that we are not adversaries, we are allies, people moving in different directions to achieve that same goal. We may also discover that one, maybe both, of us needs to reevaluate our thoughts and actions. The goal is a deeper and richer conversation with God for the sake of our relationship with God. February 15, 2021 LCM