Psalm Meditation 1087 Third Sunday of Easter April 18, 2021 Psalm 43 1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people; from those who are deceitful and unjust deliver me! 2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you cast me off? Why must I walk about mournfully because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling. 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. (NRSV) In a victim mindset nothing is my fault, it is all those others who are out to get me for no reason. This is also true for people who really are victims so it is difficult to figure out for myself whether I am being victimized or playing the victim. Either way, I feel abandoned and deserted by everyone around me, except by those who are out to get me. In the psalmist’s case, even God has walked away. Since God does not abandon anyone, there must be something else going on. God backs away when I need to learn that I can do something on my own. It may be something I have always depended on God to do for me, or it may be something that I feel is beyond me, that God knows I am ready to do. God will also back away when I am about to do something silly or dangerous, in hopes that I too will back away from my current course of action. Whether I am a victim or playing victim, I can turn to God and the people of God for help and comfort. The great thing about the people of God is that there is always someone who will support me through my trials and triumphs. When I find the one who will tell me the truth, even when it is painful, I know I have found the one I need in that moment, and probably longer. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.” April 12, 2021 LCM