Showing posts with label Psalm 28. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 28. Show all posts
Monday, August 4, 2025
Psalm Meditation 1312
¶Proper 14
¶August 10, 2025
¶Psalm 28
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2028&version=NRSVUE
¶When all you are used to in a ruler is one who uses power and authority as a weapon against everyone, including citizens of the nation, it is important to plead for a hearing in a time of need. That is the world of the psalmist. When addressing God, it is seen as no different than addressing a moody, belligerent ruler. Every request holds the possibility of being dragged away to some form of punishment, including banishment or death as well as receiving a favorable response.
¶The psalmist is pleasantly surprised that God has granted the request to be treated well, especially better than those who are out to ruin the psalmist’s life. There are many blessings and thanksgivings heaped on God for hearing and responding to the cry for help. Assuming that David is the psalmist in this case, he calls on the people of his realm to join in giving thanks and praise to God for being such a strong refuge in this situation, as well as all the times in the past in which God has been the strength and shield of the nation.
¶Through the years we have developed a different understanding of how God works in our lives. God is radically different than a capricious strong armed ruler. God is one who loves us beyond measure, who is present with us in every time and place, and encourages us to love all those around us with a love approaching that which we receive from God.
¶August 4, 2025
¶LCM
Monday, December 12, 2022
Psalm Meditation 1174
¶Fourth Sunday of Advent
¶December 18, 2022
¶Psalm 28
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+28&version=NRSVUE
(NRSV)
¶There are people in this world who can comfort us by being present with us in a time of need. They don’t say anything, they don’t do anything, they are purely present. After having been in their presence, and pouring our hearts out to them we feel as if we have been given the best advice anyone could possibly give. What we needed was a sounding board, a person to bounce a thousand ideas off of to see which of those ideas made the most sense when said out loud. We could look back and think that they did not do anything when the truth is they did just what we needed them to do. They were present.
¶The psalmist is convinced that God has turned a deaf ear to the situation. There may have been an expectation of a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder that contained the answer to all the questions in the psalmist’s current situation. The conversation continues with the psalmist asking God to destroy all the folks at the heart of this batch of concerns. However, please leave me where I am while destroying all those wicked others. Once all those distracting sinners are out of the way God can pay the psalmist some much needed attention.
¶God trusts us more than we trust ourselves. Rather than giving us the answer we want to hear, or the one we know is right while still unpleasant, God gives us the time and space to listen to our own good sense to make a decision on our own. God knows that most of us have the good sense to make our own decisions. We have minds and hearts that can sort out the good from the bad, the wise from the simple, and the workable from the aspirational. We use our God given gifts to discover the answer we really wanted God to give us without all the effort on our part. God knows what we can do, and wants us to find that out too. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”
¶December 12, 2022
¶LCM
Monday, July 22, 2019
Psalm Meditation 997
Proper 12
July 28, 2019
Psalm 28
1 To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who are workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, or the work of his hands, he will break them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
(NRSV)
We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions. When we mess up, we know what our intentions were, so the screw up does not seem so bad. When someone else messes up, we can only see the results, so we assume that their result is what they wanted to do all along. Because all we know is the visible part, we read their motives back into their actions. On top of all that, if we like them we assign them positive motives and if we don’t we assign them negative motivations.
The psalmist knows that those seen as wicked meant to do the things that did damage. At the same time the psalmists asks not to be dragged off with those wicked people because of the relationship the psalmist has with God. ‘We are such good buddies, you couldn’t possibly do the terrible things to me that I want you to do to ‘those’ people.’ We can only hope that the psalmist is correct in assessing who is good and who is wicked.
It is a good idea to be careful in our assessment of good and evil. What we think is good can be received by another as evil. What is good for us can have a disastrous consequence for someone who was not considered in our plan. We do our best to live up to our motives, to serve God to the best of our ability, and put ourselves and others at the mercy of God.
July 22, 2019
LCM
Proper 12
July 28, 2019
Psalm 28
1 To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who are workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, or the work of his hands, he will break them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
(NRSV)
We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions. When we mess up, we know what our intentions were, so the screw up does not seem so bad. When someone else messes up, we can only see the results, so we assume that their result is what they wanted to do all along. Because all we know is the visible part, we read their motives back into their actions. On top of all that, if we like them we assign them positive motives and if we don’t we assign them negative motivations.
The psalmist knows that those seen as wicked meant to do the things that did damage. At the same time the psalmists asks not to be dragged off with those wicked people because of the relationship the psalmist has with God. ‘We are such good buddies, you couldn’t possibly do the terrible things to me that I want you to do to ‘those’ people.’ We can only hope that the psalmist is correct in assessing who is good and who is wicked.
It is a good idea to be careful in our assessment of good and evil. What we think is good can be received by another as evil. What is good for us can have a disastrous consequence for someone who was not considered in our plan. We do our best to live up to our motives, to serve God to the best of our ability, and put ourselves and others at the mercy of God.
July 22, 2019
LCM
Monday, November 20, 2017
Psalm Meditation 910
Reign of Christ
November 26, 2017
Psalm 28
1 To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who are workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the LORD, or the work of his hands, he will break them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the LORD, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
(NRSV)
There are those who believe that God will not listen to the prayer of a sinner, until that person has first prayed a ‘sinner’s prayer’ along the lines of Psalm 51. God is not able to hear a prayer until the person has prayed this prayer as an acknowledgement of sinfulness and the inability to achieve salvation without the presence of God. In this view God does not act in favor of anyone who has not accepted the salvation God offers.
I believe with John Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist movement, that God is seeking us out from the start, actively loving us and acting with our best interest in mind. This puts the first move into the realm of God. We will not notice or name what goes on as God in our lives until we accept the love God offers, however God is actively working in our lives and responding to our heartfelt wants and needs way before we notice. God acts as a parent with a newborn providing care and nurture from the beginning.
Perhaps God acts and we perceive that action as we are willing and able. The psalmist hopes for and counts on the active presence of God in the life of the nation, delivering individuals and the whole people from that which threatens body and soul. God will also punish those who do damage among the people of God whether from within or from the outside. Salvation comes from God and we acknowledge and accept it as children of God.
November 20, 2017
LCM
Reign of Christ
November 26, 2017
Psalm 28
1 To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who are workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the LORD, or the work of his hands, he will break them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the LORD, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
(NRSV)
There are those who believe that God will not listen to the prayer of a sinner, until that person has first prayed a ‘sinner’s prayer’ along the lines of Psalm 51. God is not able to hear a prayer until the person has prayed this prayer as an acknowledgement of sinfulness and the inability to achieve salvation without the presence of God. In this view God does not act in favor of anyone who has not accepted the salvation God offers.
I believe with John Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist movement, that God is seeking us out from the start, actively loving us and acting with our best interest in mind. This puts the first move into the realm of God. We will not notice or name what goes on as God in our lives until we accept the love God offers, however God is actively working in our lives and responding to our heartfelt wants and needs way before we notice. God acts as a parent with a newborn providing care and nurture from the beginning.
Perhaps God acts and we perceive that action as we are willing and able. The psalmist hopes for and counts on the active presence of God in the life of the nation, delivering individuals and the whole people from that which threatens body and soul. God will also punish those who do damage among the people of God whether from within or from the outside. Salvation comes from God and we acknowledge and accept it as children of God.
November 20, 2017
LCM
Monday, February 1, 2016
Psalm Meditation 816
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
February 7, 2016
Psalm 28
1 To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who are workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, or the work of his hands,
he will break them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
(NRSV)
Every now and then, prayer feels as if I am simply talking to myself, as if it goes no farther than from my heart and head to my own ears. In these times prayer becomes exasperating and exhausting. The psalmist seems to be going through one of those times here. We say the words, we go through the motions and we don’t feel as if there is any response. As in so many other situations, the first step in dealing with the problem is to admit/confess that we have a problem so that we can more easily face it.
A part of the concern in not being heard in prayer is the fear that we may be becoming one of ‘those people,’ the people for whom God is either a non-entity, or worse, an enemy. Either way, we become the kind of people who know all the right words to say to gain the trust of those around us so that we can more readily take advantage of their trust. Not only do we not want to become that kind of person, we want God to deal with those people in such a way that they are not able to do damage to anyone else ever again.
Once we realize that God is the one who can, and does, deal with the people we don’t want to become, we also realize that we are not talking to ourselves. God continues to listen, to hear and to respond even when we are unable to notice. It may be along the lines of modern phone connections that are so crisp and clear it can sound as if the connection has been broken if the person at the receiving end of the call is thinking about a response or soaking in the seriousness of what has just been said on the sending end. By asking the question aloud about God’s presence we are able to tell that the connection is open and that God continues to be our strength and shield.
February 1, 2016
LCM
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
February 7, 2016
Psalm 28
1 To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who are workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, or the work of his hands,
he will break them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
(NRSV)
Every now and then, prayer feels as if I am simply talking to myself, as if it goes no farther than from my heart and head to my own ears. In these times prayer becomes exasperating and exhausting. The psalmist seems to be going through one of those times here. We say the words, we go through the motions and we don’t feel as if there is any response. As in so many other situations, the first step in dealing with the problem is to admit/confess that we have a problem so that we can more easily face it.
A part of the concern in not being heard in prayer is the fear that we may be becoming one of ‘those people,’ the people for whom God is either a non-entity, or worse, an enemy. Either way, we become the kind of people who know all the right words to say to gain the trust of those around us so that we can more readily take advantage of their trust. Not only do we not want to become that kind of person, we want God to deal with those people in such a way that they are not able to do damage to anyone else ever again.
Once we realize that God is the one who can, and does, deal with the people we don’t want to become, we also realize that we are not talking to ourselves. God continues to listen, to hear and to respond even when we are unable to notice. It may be along the lines of modern phone connections that are so crisp and clear it can sound as if the connection has been broken if the person at the receiving end of the call is thinking about a response or soaking in the seriousness of what has just been said on the sending end. By asking the question aloud about God’s presence we are able to tell that the connection is open and that God continues to be our strength and shield.
February 1, 2016
LCM
Monday, March 25, 2013
Psalm Meditation 667
Easter
March 31, 2013
Psalm 28
1 To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who are workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the LORD, or the work of his hands, he will break them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the LORD, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
(NRSV)
It is interesting that, with the psalmist, we are quick to ask God to judge the wicked harshly. And the wicked includes anyone and everyone who crosses the group of which we are a part. For some, the cry to God is from a position of weakness in the relationship. Since we are unable to protect ourselves from those who oppress us we depend on God to be the one who brings an end to the oppression and a beginning of justice for us and for them. God is called upon to save us from those more powerful than ourselves.
For others, the cry to God is from a position of equal or greater power in the relationship. In those cases, it seems, we are calling on God to do our bidding as if we have the power to give commands to God that we then expect God to carry out for us. In this scenario God becomes one more weapon in our collection of powerful weapons.
It is good for us to remember that God is a loving presence rather than a weapon of conquest. As we come into God’s presence with our lists of requests we do well to ask ourselves whether we are asking God to be with us and to act with us in mind for the sake of God’s glory or if we are asking God to act as our agent for the sake of our own glory. God is with us. In all times and in all places God is with us. God seeks out a relationship based in steadfast love for us. When we seek out a relationship with God based in love we are able to see all the ways God is at work in our lives and the lives of those around us.
March 25, 2013
Easter
March 31, 2013
Psalm 28
1 To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who are workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the LORD, or the work of his hands, he will break them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the LORD, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
(NRSV)
It is interesting that, with the psalmist, we are quick to ask God to judge the wicked harshly. And the wicked includes anyone and everyone who crosses the group of which we are a part. For some, the cry to God is from a position of weakness in the relationship. Since we are unable to protect ourselves from those who oppress us we depend on God to be the one who brings an end to the oppression and a beginning of justice for us and for them. God is called upon to save us from those more powerful than ourselves.
For others, the cry to God is from a position of equal or greater power in the relationship. In those cases, it seems, we are calling on God to do our bidding as if we have the power to give commands to God that we then expect God to carry out for us. In this scenario God becomes one more weapon in our collection of powerful weapons.
It is good for us to remember that God is a loving presence rather than a weapon of conquest. As we come into God’s presence with our lists of requests we do well to ask ourselves whether we are asking God to be with us and to act with us in mind for the sake of God’s glory or if we are asking God to act as our agent for the sake of our own glory. God is with us. In all times and in all places God is with us. God seeks out a relationship based in steadfast love for us. When we seek out a relationship with God based in love we are able to see all the ways God is at work in our lives and the lives of those around us.
March 25, 2013
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