Psalm Meditation 1268 ¶Proper 22 ¶October 6, 2024 ¶Psalm 143 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+143&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶A time of trial, even desperation, is a fitting time to contemplate our relationship with God. When our spirits are at the lowest point, we can take time to consider whether or not we trust, or even need, a higher power of some kind. Some will decide that there is no God, and if there is, that God has no concern for us in this trial or any other time. At the other extreme, some will discover that God is in charge, we have no place to question God’s activity, or anyone else’s in our lives since God has every part of our lives scripted to the smallest detail and we are simply along for the ride. In the middle is where most of us find ourselves. ¶In the middle we find that God has given each of us the gift of free will. That means we not only live with the consequences of our own actions, we also live with the consequences of the actions of others. In times of trial, we turn to God for answers, for relief, to pluck us out of our current trouble, and to be present with us. God has chosen to allow us to make our own choices, and to live with the results for good or ill. Through it all, God also chooses to be with us no matter what. ¶The psalmist looks to God in desperation, asking for relief and deliverance. More importantly, the psalmist is asking God for help, moving in the direction of God, and being willing to accept whatever relief, comfort, and deliverance to presence of God has to offer in this particular situation. As is the case with most of us, the psalmist has some definite ideas of what kind of help God might offer, however, there is also a willingness to accept all that God has to offer. “Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust.” ¶October 1, 2024 ¶LCM