Psalm Meditation 1162 ¶Proper 21 ¶September 25, 2022 ¶Psalm 16 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+16&version=NRSVUE (NRSV) ¶There are times in our lives in which we wonder why we have to go through some of the things we endure. There are events that bring us to question why we have faith in God if this is what happens to us when we do. We feel beat down, abandoned, and wondering how we are hanging on to life and sanity through all this. We are both jealous of and enraged by all those whose lives seem to run smoothly all the time. What makes them so special that they never have to suffer as we currently are? ¶The psalmist doesn’t say that life will be perfect when we cast our lot with God. The statement the psalmist makes to God is, “I have no good apart from you.” We all suffer; it seems to be wrapped up in what it means to be alive. People and things around us are lost to us in a variety of ways and we are left to carry on without them. It is hard to the point of being unbearable. Imagine how much worse it would be without the presence of God, and the people of God surrounding us with love, concern, and help. ¶As the times and events of our lives go sour for us, we do well to remember that God is with us no matter what. God is as present with us in the times of suffering as in the good times. While these times are painful, we can rest assured that God is with us, offering steadfast love and comfort to us. While we may not, should not, rejoice in every situation, we know that God’s loving presence will bring us to a time in which we are able to rejoice. ¶September 22, 2022 ¶LCM