Showing posts with label Psalm 77. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 77. Show all posts
Monday, October 9, 2023
Psalm Meditation 1217
¶Proper 23
¶October 15, 2023
¶Psalm 77
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+77&version=NRSVUE
(NRSV)
¶When we are surrounded by chaos and catastrophe it is easy to lose sight of God, at least to lose sight of God’s positive characteristics. We feel lost, unloved, and abandoned as if we will never again see the light of day. We find ourselves questioning the motives and actions of God in our lives. So many thoughts and feelings rise up within us that we feel as if we are beginning to shrivel up and turn to dust. There must be something that can be done to pull us out of this pit that has become our lot.
¶The psalmist determines to change focus from the doldrums of the present to the wonders of the past. By remembering that each time God has seemed to abandon the chosen people there comes a time of renewed blessing into their lives. What appears to be the darkness of a grave, may be the darkness of a cocoon from which a new and beautiful creature will emerge. The bringers and carriers of chaos and destruction are put to rout and we are able to see glimmers of hope sparkle around us.
¶When we find the first glimmer of hope, it opens our eyes to the next one and the next one. Our actual circumstances and situation may not have changed at all, yet knowing that God is present within and among us allows us to see that the darkness is not as dark as it seems when we peer into it alone. We often discover that in the presence of God we are not alone. Not only is God with us, there are other companions for the journey who will stand with us as we offer mutual support in the name of God.
¶October 9, 2023
¶LCM
Monday, May 20, 2019
Psalm Meditation 988
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 26, 2019
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
This psalm seems to pivot on verse ten, “And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”” And to add another layer, this is an interesting reminder that the placement of punctuation makes a difference in the meaning of a sentence, and that one sentence can change the meaning of a whole psalm. Does the psalmist intend to say that ‘God is a source of grief, the right hand of the Most High having changed,’ or is the intent to rejoice that, ‘It is my grief that has been changed by the hand of God?’ I understand that early Hebrew didn’t even leave spaces between words, let alone use punctuation.
I am of the mind that the psalmist is declaring that it is the grief that has been changed by the hand of God. My own experience is that the one who is most changed by prayer is me. My situation may not change at all through prayer, however my attitude and the eyes through which I see the situation can change drastically when I become aware that I am not alone. I am surrounded by God as well as by the people of God. The people of God lift me up and their concern changes them, their concern for me, changes me, our changes open a whole new relationship as we are drawn more deeply into a life in God. When I know that I am being lifted in prayer, my burden is lighter and I am more free to be in prayer for others.
Once we see God at work in our lives, we are able to turn our attention to the good things that God has done. As we notice that God has been active in the past, we can look forward to the pattern of good things continuing even if we are currently in the middle of an intense trial at this moment. We are reminded that God is at work in the world, in the lives of those who are in the world, and in phenomena beyond our ability to understand. As we are able, we look around to see ourselves surrounded by a community, a family, moving in concert with the will of God.
May 20, 2019
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 26, 2019
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
This psalm seems to pivot on verse ten, “And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”” And to add another layer, this is an interesting reminder that the placement of punctuation makes a difference in the meaning of a sentence, and that one sentence can change the meaning of a whole psalm. Does the psalmist intend to say that ‘God is a source of grief, the right hand of the Most High having changed,’ or is the intent to rejoice that, ‘It is my grief that has been changed by the hand of God?’ I understand that early Hebrew didn’t even leave spaces between words, let alone use punctuation.
I am of the mind that the psalmist is declaring that it is the grief that has been changed by the hand of God. My own experience is that the one who is most changed by prayer is me. My situation may not change at all through prayer, however my attitude and the eyes through which I see the situation can change drastically when I become aware that I am not alone. I am surrounded by God as well as by the people of God. The people of God lift me up and their concern changes them, their concern for me, changes me, our changes open a whole new relationship as we are drawn more deeply into a life in God. When I know that I am being lifted in prayer, my burden is lighter and I am more free to be in prayer for others.
Once we see God at work in our lives, we are able to turn our attention to the good things that God has done. As we notice that God has been active in the past, we can look forward to the pattern of good things continuing even if we are currently in the middle of an intense trial at this moment. We are reminded that God is at work in the world, in the lives of those who are in the world, and in phenomena beyond our ability to understand. As we are able, we look around to see ourselves surrounded by a community, a family, moving in concert with the will of God.
May 20, 2019
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
Monday, September 18, 2017
Psalm Meditation 901
Proper 20
September 24, 2017
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
Sometimes we feel abandoned and forsaken, believing that we are the only ones who have ever felt so separated from God. And at night it seems to get worse. In the darkness hope seems to dissipate and even disappear leaving us with the worst of our feelings and options. We may cry out to God even though we know that we are out of even God’s range of hearing. The oppressive weight of negativity presses down on us and we wonder if we will ever be able to feel anything but terrible.
Somehow, sleep comes, if only for a moment. In that moment we find a different perspective, a different focus for our nighttime musings. We begin to focus on what God has done in the past. God has provided and offered redemption to people who have wandered away in search of greener pastures, easier paths, better results for lower investment. If God will choose to be with people who have made those kinds of choices, God will certainly be with us who have found ourselves in difficult, painful circumstances not entirely of our own making.
Yep, life has rough patches. And while we may get the feeling that we have been abandoned during those times, it is not the case. God is with us, waiting for us to be open to the gifts God offers to us, including the gift of presence. God sits with us, quietly accompanying us through every rough patch, through every smooth patch, through every exciting and frightening patch. God is with us, simple and complex as that.
September 18, 2017
LCM
Proper 20
September 24, 2017
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
Sometimes we feel abandoned and forsaken, believing that we are the only ones who have ever felt so separated from God. And at night it seems to get worse. In the darkness hope seems to dissipate and even disappear leaving us with the worst of our feelings and options. We may cry out to God even though we know that we are out of even God’s range of hearing. The oppressive weight of negativity presses down on us and we wonder if we will ever be able to feel anything but terrible.
Somehow, sleep comes, if only for a moment. In that moment we find a different perspective, a different focus for our nighttime musings. We begin to focus on what God has done in the past. God has provided and offered redemption to people who have wandered away in search of greener pastures, easier paths, better results for lower investment. If God will choose to be with people who have made those kinds of choices, God will certainly be with us who have found ourselves in difficult, painful circumstances not entirely of our own making.
Yep, life has rough patches. And while we may get the feeling that we have been abandoned during those times, it is not the case. God is with us, waiting for us to be open to the gifts God offers to us, including the gift of presence. God sits with us, quietly accompanying us through every rough patch, through every smooth patch, through every exciting and frightening patch. God is with us, simple and complex as that.
September 18, 2017
LCM
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Psalm Meditation 821
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 13, 2016
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
We each have events in our lives that are life altering. Some of those are lessons learned and the actual events are forgotten as inconsequential even as the learning remains. Other life changing experiences are memorable as events as well as in lessons learned. The important part may not be the event or series of events themselves as much as the lessons we learn as we go through these trials. Is the psalmist going through things that will be remembered years from now or will the only memory be of the importance of calling to mind the deeds of the Lord?
Whether it is a first time to feel abandoned by God or something deeper that opens the psalmist to question God’s presence, there is a darkness to face. The psalm teaches us to face the question of God’s absence or presence by looking to all the ways God has been present in the past. With a slight change of perspective we can see that God is at work in a variety of ways no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves.
If God is not always directly involved in the resolution of events in my life, God has been at work in and around me. I may not be able to notice how God is active in my life without looking back on the events with a bit more wisdom and a more distant view of a particular experience. While we may not notice in the heat of the moment we know with the assurance of history and experience that God is with us.
March 8, 2016
LCM
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 13, 2016
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
We each have events in our lives that are life altering. Some of those are lessons learned and the actual events are forgotten as inconsequential even as the learning remains. Other life changing experiences are memorable as events as well as in lessons learned. The important part may not be the event or series of events themselves as much as the lessons we learn as we go through these trials. Is the psalmist going through things that will be remembered years from now or will the only memory be of the importance of calling to mind the deeds of the Lord?
Whether it is a first time to feel abandoned by God or something deeper that opens the psalmist to question God’s presence, there is a darkness to face. The psalm teaches us to face the question of God’s absence or presence by looking to all the ways God has been present in the past. With a slight change of perspective we can see that God is at work in a variety of ways no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves.
If God is not always directly involved in the resolution of events in my life, God has been at work in and around me. I may not be able to notice how God is active in my life without looking back on the events with a bit more wisdom and a more distant view of a particular experience. While we may not notice in the heat of the moment we know with the assurance of history and experience that God is with us.
March 8, 2016
LCM
Monday, March 19, 2012
Psalm Meditation 614
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 25, 2012
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. (Selah)
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" (Selah)
10 And I say, "It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed."
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
In many forms we ask the question, ‘what do I do when I can’t pray?’ Various answers have been given to the question and many of them seem to make the problem worse because they continue to make it my responsibility to tough it out and keep going. A recently received answer to the question seems to be pretty satisfying. When you can’t pray turn it over to the community of faith. Many of us have at least one contact or friend who can carry our concern to the community of faith so that it, and we can be lifted up.
When the burden of having to do everything on our own is lifted we can muster up some energy to think back to other times when we have felt the presence of God, and we were able to help someone through their sense of abandonment. As we remember the presence of God, we may notice that we are not as separate from God as it may seem in this moment. It may be that we have lost focus and we find that God is more near than we thought.
As God comes back into focus, or as we move back into a sense of God’s abiding presence through the concern of the community, we see that God is a loving redeemer who delivers us. The deliverance of God may not be in the way we had hoped, however we do feel the power of God’s redeeming and restoring presence and love. We may also feel a closer sense of community with those who stood with us through this time of trial.
© March 19, 2012
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 25, 2012
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. (Selah)
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" (Selah)
10 And I say, "It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed."
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
In many forms we ask the question, ‘what do I do when I can’t pray?’ Various answers have been given to the question and many of them seem to make the problem worse because they continue to make it my responsibility to tough it out and keep going. A recently received answer to the question seems to be pretty satisfying. When you can’t pray turn it over to the community of faith. Many of us have at least one contact or friend who can carry our concern to the community of faith so that it, and we can be lifted up.
When the burden of having to do everything on our own is lifted we can muster up some energy to think back to other times when we have felt the presence of God, and we were able to help someone through their sense of abandonment. As we remember the presence of God, we may notice that we are not as separate from God as it may seem in this moment. It may be that we have lost focus and we find that God is more near than we thought.
As God comes back into focus, or as we move back into a sense of God’s abiding presence through the concern of the community, we see that God is a loving redeemer who delivers us. The deliverance of God may not be in the way we had hoped, however we do feel the power of God’s redeeming and restoring presence and love. We may also feel a closer sense of community with those who stood with us through this time of trial.
© March 19, 2012
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