Psalm Meditation 1292 ¶Third Sunday in Lent ¶March 23, 2025 ¶Psalm 5 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%205&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶We are perfectly content to know that the steadfast love of God is what will get us into the eternal presence of God. Yes, we have done silly, stupid, maybe even illegal things however God loves us because we do our best to follow, most of the time. We take refuge in God. Sometimes that means we know that God has us wrapped up in a divine embrace to keep us as close as we want to be. It can also mean that we run to God every time we feel threatened or bullied by other folks. God’s steadfast love will protect us from all the people we don’t like ¶All of the people we don’t like are purposely belligerent, and anti-God all of the time. If they join us in worship we see that they are ‘just going through the motions and don’t really mean any of it. They are only making a show and sham of religion to look good to the gullible folks around them who think they are wonderful and righteous.’ We know that they can’t be included in God’s steadfast love because we don’t like them or trust them. God’s love can’t possibly extend beyond the limits that we set for our love and concern. ¶I believe that God’s love is not dependent on my actions. God’s love is steadfast, firmly loyal or constant. It is not swayed or influenced by anything I do or say, for good or ill. I also believe that those who consciously move toward God on a regular basis are more likely to experience God’s love than those who don’t. That does not mean that those of us who feel God’s love are more loved than those who don’t, only that we are aware of how much God loves each one of us. It also means that God can be frustrated, disappointed, and annoyed with us, all while loving us more than we can know. ¶March 17, 2025 ¶LCM