Psalm Meditation 1149 ¶Proper 8 ¶June 26, 2022 ¶Psalm 33 1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous. Praise befits the upright. 2 Praise the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made and all their host by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle; he put the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him, 9 for he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 12 Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage. 13 The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all humankind. 14 From where he sits enthroned he watches all the inhabitants of the earth— 15 he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. 16 A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. 17 The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save. 18 Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, 19 to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and shield. 21 Our heart is glad in him because we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (NRSV) ¶Steadfast love is one of those words/phrases that has become a ‘church’ word, something we use only in religious contexts. The current word that means about the same thing is unconditional love. It means that there is nothing we can do to earn this kind of love, and there is nothing we can do to make someone stop loving us. This kind of love is a gift. It is the kind of love to which we all aspire in our most deeply held relationships. It is more easily said than done. ¶God loves us. God loves you. God loves me. There are folks who keep themselves from being open to God’s love in a variety of ways, however that does nothing to keep God’s love from surrounding us. Those who are open to God’s love are the ones best able to receive it and pass it on to others. God points us in the direction of righteousness and justice for all people. Striving for righteousness and justice is how we live out the love that God gives to us, for all to share. ¶With all that God is and does, from being the creative force in the world to frustrating the plans of those whose greed and selfishness opposes the divine plan, God’s love for us stands firm. Empire, systems that govern by violence, fear, and oppression, stand only for a moment. The realm of God, based in righteousness, justice, and steadfast love, stands forever. “Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” ¶June 20, 2022 ¶LCM