Showing posts with label Psalm 3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 3. Show all posts
Monday, March 24, 2025
Psalm Meditation 1293
¶Fourth Sunday in Lent
¶March 30, 2025
¶Psalm 3
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%203&version=NRSVUE
(NRSVUE)
¶For some of us, a single critical comment can be all the evidence we need of persecution against us, at the other extreme is those who can be inundated with criticism without noticing, and the rest of us fall somewhere in between. Also, depending on who it is offering the criticism, makes a difference in how we accept it and deal with it. I imagine that many of us would feel oppressed if we heard and believed that, “There is no help for you in God.” It is one thing to be criticized, and quite another to believe that even God stands against us.
¶The psalmist has heard folks say, “There is no help for you in God.” without letting in burrow deeply enough to be convincing. The psalmist is aware that God is a protective presence acting as a shield against actual persecution. The presence of God sustains the psalmist in every time and place, no matter how many stand in opposition. There is always hope for deliverance from foes when God is involved.
¶God delivers us from our foes in any number of ways. The psalmist is willing to stand back and watch God wreak havoc on the faces of all the ‘baddies’ out to get us. It is also possible that God will work within each of us to bring us to some agreement as we move into a future together. And, God can take us fully into the divine presence if our foes really do want us to be wiped out by death. In some form God does deliver us from the evils and challenges that beset us behind and before.
¶March 24, 2025
¶LCM
Monday, July 8, 2019
Psalm Meditation 995
Proper 10
July 14, 2019
Psalm 3
1 O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.” Selah
3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Rise up, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Deliverance belongs to the Lord; may your blessing be on your people! Selah
(NRSV)
There are people in the world who are victims. They did not choose to be victims; they do not announce it, they do not celebrate it, they do not want to be victims. Someone has decided that another person or group has a price to pay for a real or imagine fault or crime. One of the reasons a person becomes a victim is their relative powerlessness. There is someone more powerful who has decided to use their power advantage to demean, demoralize, and destroy their chosen victim. The psalmist cries out for those victims.
Despite the claims of the oppressor, “There is no help for you in God.” the psalmist acknowledges the presence of God as a shield and protector. The help the psalmist experiences may not be evident to those who stand over the victims, however the psalmist knows that God offers something richer and deeper than the oppressors themselves have. God offers presence, being with those who are victimized, that restores hope, dignity, and peace in the face of powerful foes.
For those whose victimhood is real, there is no other hope than in God. The situation is not going to go away, it is not going to get better on its own, the pendulum will not swing the other way making the current victim the victor. God’s presence does not deliver folks from destruction; God offers a presence that delivers victims from the demeaning and demoralizing parts of victimization. God is with us, leading us in the way that leads to hope, dignity, and peace for each of us, and for all of us.
July 8, 2019
LCM
Proper 10
July 14, 2019
Psalm 3
1 O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.” Selah
3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Rise up, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Deliverance belongs to the Lord; may your blessing be on your people! Selah
(NRSV)
There are people in the world who are victims. They did not choose to be victims; they do not announce it, they do not celebrate it, they do not want to be victims. Someone has decided that another person or group has a price to pay for a real or imagine fault or crime. One of the reasons a person becomes a victim is their relative powerlessness. There is someone more powerful who has decided to use their power advantage to demean, demoralize, and destroy their chosen victim. The psalmist cries out for those victims.
Despite the claims of the oppressor, “There is no help for you in God.” the psalmist acknowledges the presence of God as a shield and protector. The help the psalmist experiences may not be evident to those who stand over the victims, however the psalmist knows that God offers something richer and deeper than the oppressors themselves have. God offers presence, being with those who are victimized, that restores hope, dignity, and peace in the face of powerful foes.
For those whose victimhood is real, there is no other hope than in God. The situation is not going to go away, it is not going to get better on its own, the pendulum will not swing the other way making the current victim the victor. God’s presence does not deliver folks from destruction; God offers a presence that delivers victims from the demeaning and demoralizing parts of victimization. God is with us, leading us in the way that leads to hope, dignity, and peace for each of us, and for all of us.
July 8, 2019
LCM
Monday, February 18, 2019
Psalm Meditation 975
Seventh Sunday After Epiphany
February 24, 2019
Psalm 3
1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.” Selah
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I cry aloud to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Rise up, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Deliverance belongs to the LORD; may your blessing be on your people! Selah
(NRSV)
I am not sure which comes first, sleeplessness or worry, however one accompanies the other in a lot of cases. Things that are of little consequence in waking daylit hours suddenly become giant concerns in the dark. One drifts toward sleep only to be startled to wakefulness by a question as simple as whether or not the door is locked or as complex as the state of a loved one or the fate of the world. In the light it is a passing fancy, but in the isolation of darkness it is a monumental question that sparks fear and concern in heart and mind. Drifting off to sleep is no longer an option, it becomes a struggle fraught with obstacles and challenges.
The psalmist has ten thousand reasons to worry and one reason to let the worries be. The psalmist chooses to concentrate on the one, to concentrate on the sustaining presence of God. There are still pursuers and adversaries, however the psalmist is wrapped and held in the arms of God. Things may still go bad, people may continue to be in pursuit, even those prospects will not wrench the psalmist from the presence of God. The sheltering presence of God makes a world of difference.
The psalmist continues to be aware of the ten thousand pursuers just as we continue to be aware of our dark induced frets and worries, however there is always comfort in the presence of one who loves and supports us. To be fully aware of the presence of God in a worrisome moment gives us comfort even if nothing has changed except our recognition of the sustaining power and presence of God. “Deliverance belongs to the LORD; may your blessing be on your people!”
February 18, 2019
LCM
Seventh Sunday After Epiphany
February 24, 2019
Psalm 3
1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.” Selah
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I cry aloud to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Rise up, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Deliverance belongs to the LORD; may your blessing be on your people! Selah
(NRSV)
I am not sure which comes first, sleeplessness or worry, however one accompanies the other in a lot of cases. Things that are of little consequence in waking daylit hours suddenly become giant concerns in the dark. One drifts toward sleep only to be startled to wakefulness by a question as simple as whether or not the door is locked or as complex as the state of a loved one or the fate of the world. In the light it is a passing fancy, but in the isolation of darkness it is a monumental question that sparks fear and concern in heart and mind. Drifting off to sleep is no longer an option, it becomes a struggle fraught with obstacles and challenges.
The psalmist has ten thousand reasons to worry and one reason to let the worries be. The psalmist chooses to concentrate on the one, to concentrate on the sustaining presence of God. There are still pursuers and adversaries, however the psalmist is wrapped and held in the arms of God. Things may still go bad, people may continue to be in pursuit, even those prospects will not wrench the psalmist from the presence of God. The sheltering presence of God makes a world of difference.
The psalmist continues to be aware of the ten thousand pursuers just as we continue to be aware of our dark induced frets and worries, however there is always comfort in the presence of one who loves and supports us. To be fully aware of the presence of God in a worrisome moment gives us comfort even if nothing has changed except our recognition of the sustaining power and presence of God. “Deliverance belongs to the LORD; may your blessing be on your people!”
February 18, 2019
LCM
Monday, September 30, 2013
Psalm Meditation 694
Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 6, 2013
Psalm 3
1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.”Selah
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I cry aloud to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy hill.Selah
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Rise up, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Deliverance belongs to the LORD; may your blessing be on your people! Selah
(NRSV)
Several years ago, the congregation I was serving at the time had a Miracle Sunday with the goal of $5,000.00. On the day of the offering at least one person confided in the church Council chair that they did not believe we could raise that much money in a single day. When the chair told me the story afterward she said she simply smiled and nodded because she already had more than half of the goal in her pocket, received from those who could not attend that day and wanted to contribute to the cause. I was reminded of that experience when I read the second and third verses of the psalm.
There are those who are quick to tell folks that God could not possibly be present in this or any other situation in life. All we need to do is smile and nod because we know that God is with us as “a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.” Despite appearances to the contrary, we already know that God is with us in this and every event and situation of our lives. That does not mean that we will be rescued from any and all tragedy, free from the trials and tribulations of life. It means that the presence of God will give us comfort and hope now and into the future.
The life events of those who trust in God will not be that much different than for those who do not. The difference will be in the way folks will deal with those events, how they move on from what has happened in the assurance that God is with us to deliver and bless us.
September 30, 2013
Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 6, 2013
Psalm 3
1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.”Selah
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I cry aloud to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy hill.Selah
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Rise up, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Deliverance belongs to the LORD; may your blessing be on your people! Selah
(NRSV)
Several years ago, the congregation I was serving at the time had a Miracle Sunday with the goal of $5,000.00. On the day of the offering at least one person confided in the church Council chair that they did not believe we could raise that much money in a single day. When the chair told me the story afterward she said she simply smiled and nodded because she already had more than half of the goal in her pocket, received from those who could not attend that day and wanted to contribute to the cause. I was reminded of that experience when I read the second and third verses of the psalm.
There are those who are quick to tell folks that God could not possibly be present in this or any other situation in life. All we need to do is smile and nod because we know that God is with us as “a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.” Despite appearances to the contrary, we already know that God is with us in this and every event and situation of our lives. That does not mean that we will be rescued from any and all tragedy, free from the trials and tribulations of life. It means that the presence of God will give us comfort and hope now and into the future.
The life events of those who trust in God will not be that much different than for those who do not. The difference will be in the way folks will deal with those events, how they move on from what has happened in the assurance that God is with us to deliver and bless us.
September 30, 2013
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