Psalm Meditation 1161 ¶Proper 20 ¶September 18, 2022 ¶Psalm 45 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+45&version=NRSVUE (NRSV) ¶Of course the king deserves these accolades and compliments, because he is the king. There may be a touch of extravagant flattery, however for the most part the king deserves to hear all of these good things about himself and his bride. Leaders of all ages deserve the acclaim that the people offer, especially if that leader is somehow one of us. Certainly God smiles on leaders who serve God by ruling the people fairly. ¶If these same kinds of compliments are pointed toward us we are quick to deflect them, discount them, and ignore them. Despite our unwillingness to accept those compliments, in the eyes of God we are each special and have our own set of skills and gifts that set us apart from the those around us. Even our uniqueness is not what causes God to love us. God loves us because it is the nature of God to love each of us with the same steadfast love that every other person receives. ¶We deserve the compliments sincerely given to us, because we are beloved children of God. Most of us are not celebrities, known by many beyond our ability to know in return. That does not make us any less special in the eyes of God. The lowliest to the loftiest is known and loved by God as an individual of sacred worth. ¶September 13, 2022 ¶LCM