Showing posts with label psalm 106. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psalm 106. Show all posts
Monday, June 10, 2024
Psalm Meditation 1252
¶Proper 6
¶June 16, 2024
¶Psalm 106
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+106&version=NRSVUE
(NRSVUE)
¶Some of the psalms, and this is one of them, serve to remind us that God loves us continually and steadfastly. God’s love is not given to us only when we are good and right, God loves us all the time. During the exodus from Egypt, God did not walk away from the people the first time they disobeyed or questioned God’s motives in bringing folks out into the desert. God stuck with this foolish and stiff necked people from generation to generation, despite their wandering away from God on a regular basis.
¶This also applies to us. We have grown so used to believing that what God wants from us is for us to follow all the rules. At the very least, we believe that God wants everyone else to follow the rules that we have chosen as important. Each time we call someone to account for breaking one of God’s rules, others can find us guilty of another of those rules. I am sure that I have judged someone harshly for breaking a rule that I keep meticulously while breaking another one that is of the same importance.
¶“Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.“ It is one of those, ‘everyone is doing it, so it must be okay’ situations, and is certainly deeply human practice. Perhaps the psalmist is reminding us that we can be a little less quick to judge others by our own standards, rejoice that God loves us no matter what, and attempt to keep a closer eye on our own actions than on those of others. When we point ourselves toward serving and loving God we can be open to the love of God at work in us, as well as God at work in the lives of those around us.
¶June 10, 2024
¶LCM
Monday, November 18, 2019
Psalm Meditation 1014
Reign of Christ
November 24, 2019
Psalm 106 (selected verses)
1 Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord, or declare all his praise?
3 Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7 Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea.
13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;
15 he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 They were jealous of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
19 They made a calf at Horeb and worshiped a cast image.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.
28 Then they attached themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29 they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.
32 They angered the Lord at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account;
33 for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke words that were rash.
34 They did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them,
35 but they mingled with the nations and learned to do as they did.
42 Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes, and were brought low through their iniquity.
47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord!
(NRSV)
In these days of short attention spans, there is a summary style called, Tl;dr. It is shorthand for Too long; didn’t read. If something goes more than a couple of paragraphs there is a Tl;dr at the beginning or end of the story to give people a one or two sentence summary of the whole story. If that piques your interest you can read the whole thing, if the short description is all you want the Tl;dr will suffice.
These summaries are not new. Book length academic papers and stock offerings begin with an ‘abstract’ that gives the outline, the basics, of the full proposal. This psalm is a Tl;dr of the Book of Exodus from a particular point of view. If you don’t want to read the whole book, here is a summary. If you don’t want to read the whole Psalm, I have cut out several verses to hit the important points. This Psalm reminds people that sins of the people are not anything new, our ancestors gave allegiance to God a number of times and then forgot their pledge, as well as God, when things evened out again.
We can summarize anything to carry our own point of view. We pick and choose words, phrases, concepts that support our thinking and edit the Tl;dr to get our own point across. Was the exodus forty years of rescue by God, pledges of allegiance from the people, forgetting those pledges, and starting the process all over again? Yes, it was. Is there more to it than that? Yes, there is. This is where a group of families and clans became a people. This is where a people came to know and love YHWH as their God. This is the fits and starts of a people who drew us in to life in God, who helped us become who we are. We communicate our biases and preconceived notions all the time; it is important to know ours as well as those of who we follow.
November 18, 2019
LCM
Reign of Christ
November 24, 2019
Psalm 106 (selected verses)
1 Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord, or declare all his praise?
3 Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7 Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea.
13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;
15 he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 They were jealous of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
19 They made a calf at Horeb and worshiped a cast image.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.
28 Then they attached themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
29 they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.
32 They angered the Lord at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account;
33 for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke words that were rash.
34 They did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them,
35 but they mingled with the nations and learned to do as they did.
42 Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes, and were brought low through their iniquity.
47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord!
(NRSV)
In these days of short attention spans, there is a summary style called, Tl;dr. It is shorthand for Too long; didn’t read. If something goes more than a couple of paragraphs there is a Tl;dr at the beginning or end of the story to give people a one or two sentence summary of the whole story. If that piques your interest you can read the whole thing, if the short description is all you want the Tl;dr will suffice.
These summaries are not new. Book length academic papers and stock offerings begin with an ‘abstract’ that gives the outline, the basics, of the full proposal. This psalm is a Tl;dr of the Book of Exodus from a particular point of view. If you don’t want to read the whole book, here is a summary. If you don’t want to read the whole Psalm, I have cut out several verses to hit the important points. This Psalm reminds people that sins of the people are not anything new, our ancestors gave allegiance to God a number of times and then forgot their pledge, as well as God, when things evened out again.
We can summarize anything to carry our own point of view. We pick and choose words, phrases, concepts that support our thinking and edit the Tl;dr to get our own point across. Was the exodus forty years of rescue by God, pledges of allegiance from the people, forgetting those pledges, and starting the process all over again? Yes, it was. Is there more to it than that? Yes, there is. This is where a group of families and clans became a people. This is where a people came to know and love YHWH as their God. This is the fits and starts of a people who drew us in to life in God, who helped us become who we are. We communicate our biases and preconceived notions all the time; it is important to know ours as well as those of who we follow.
November 18, 2019
LCM
Monday, September 12, 2016
Psalm Meditation 848
Proper 20
September 18, 2016
Psalm 106:1-16,40-48
1 Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD, or declare all his praise?
3 Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7 Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, so that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry; he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;
15 he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 They were jealous of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
40 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;
41 he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes, and were brought low through their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.
47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
There are those who believe that God acts in response to our behavior, either with blessing or punishment. As if we have the power to sway God from an intended course of action through our action or lack thereof. Much like children who blame themselves for the divorce of their parents, our actions are not the cause of the behavior of those around us whose power is far beyond our own. The same goes for victims of abuse; it is not the actions of the abused that have caused abuse to be rained down on them. We do not have the power to change the minds, hearts and actions of those around us.
This does not mean that we are totally innocent in our actions. We have the power to withdraw, and to engage. Even if we push the buttons that bring on familiar actions, we are not the final cause of the actions and reactions of others. When we withdraw from the source of pain and of blessing, we do not alter the action of the other so much as we have distanced ourselves from the source. These children of God had gotten used to the blessings of God’s presence and believed they would receive them no matter how far afield they might wander. The psalmist reminds them that this is not the case.
God loves us and offers blessings to us. While we can’t remove ourselves from God’s love we can refuse to receive that love by a variety of blocks and barriers placed by actions and attitudes. As those before us, we place ever greater demands on God, expecting, not love but servitude. In this case God ceases to be one who loves us and becomes instead a vending machine of our needs and wants. The love of God continues even though our attitude has gone from love and appreciation to one of demand and expectation. It is not God who has changed. “43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes, and were brought low through their iniquity. 44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard their cry. 45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” When we return to God we discover one who stands ready to love us in a variety of ways.
September 12, 2016
LCM
Proper 20
September 18, 2016
Psalm 106:1-16,40-48
1 Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD, or declare all his praise?
3 Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7 Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, so that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry; he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert;
15 he gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 They were jealous of Moses in the camp, and of Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.
40 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;
41 he gave them into the hand of the nations, so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes, and were brought low through their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.
47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
There are those who believe that God acts in response to our behavior, either with blessing or punishment. As if we have the power to sway God from an intended course of action through our action or lack thereof. Much like children who blame themselves for the divorce of their parents, our actions are not the cause of the behavior of those around us whose power is far beyond our own. The same goes for victims of abuse; it is not the actions of the abused that have caused abuse to be rained down on them. We do not have the power to change the minds, hearts and actions of those around us.
This does not mean that we are totally innocent in our actions. We have the power to withdraw, and to engage. Even if we push the buttons that bring on familiar actions, we are not the final cause of the actions and reactions of others. When we withdraw from the source of pain and of blessing, we do not alter the action of the other so much as we have distanced ourselves from the source. These children of God had gotten used to the blessings of God’s presence and believed they would receive them no matter how far afield they might wander. The psalmist reminds them that this is not the case.
God loves us and offers blessings to us. While we can’t remove ourselves from God’s love we can refuse to receive that love by a variety of blocks and barriers placed by actions and attitudes. As those before us, we place ever greater demands on God, expecting, not love but servitude. In this case God ceases to be one who loves us and becomes instead a vending machine of our needs and wants. The love of God continues even though our attitude has gone from love and appreciation to one of demand and expectation. It is not God who has changed. “43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes, and were brought low through their iniquity. 44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard their cry. 45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” When we return to God we discover one who stands ready to love us in a variety of ways.
September 12, 2016
LCM
Monday, February 24, 2014
Psalm Meditation 715
Transfiguration
March 2, 2014
Psalm 106:1-13,43-48
1 Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD, or declare all his praise?
3 Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7 Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, so that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry; he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes,
and were brought low through their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.
47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
The history of salvation is long and repetitive. God saves us and we wander off to do our own thing our own way. We figure we know better than God what is good for us and we go on our merry way to do those things. It’s all fun until we get ourselves into a situation beyond our ability. We cry out for God, who comes to pull us out. We make a promise that we will stay faithful this time, no matter what. God smiles and nods, knowing that we are going to be faithful until the next shiny thing comes along to draw our attention from our promised faithfulness. We know that God is annoyed with us as we wander off, however since we promised to be faithful this time, we don’t want to let God know that we are off the path until we are so far off we can’t possibly get back on our own.
Interestingly, God knows all this. God has been at this salvation history stuff a lot longer than any individual generation has been wandering, promising, calling and promising once more. I am guessing that it is nearly amusing to God that each generation follows the same pattern. In an early seminary class, the professor told us that churches go about ministry all wrong. We put young pups in charge of youth and wait until those same folks are older to have them working with older adults. It should be the other way around. A young pastor should work with older adults, senior citizens, so that when things go wrong the folks can assure the pastor that it is not the end of the world. Learn from this one and move on to the next mistake/learning experience. When those pastors get to be 30 and beyond, they work with youth, so that when things go wrong we can assure those youth that it is not the end of the world. God is the older, more mature person in this, who knows that our wanderings are not the end of the world and that someone might learn something through this.
For our part, there are folks who in each generation who find a way to be faithful. They are the ones who pray for us, who remind us that we are not the first to break a promise to God, who encourage us to cry out to for God way earlier than we actually do. We don’t usually listen to those wise, faithful folks, because we know that we are the first to ever wander this far away from God, so we can’t possibly be worthy of any of God’s care and concern.
And through it all God continues to love us, to invite us back into the fold of faithfulness, to come striding into the midst of our wanderings to guide us gently, safely back. Whether we have stepped one foot off the path or have run headlong into pain, danger or both, God is with us. Yes, it would be wonderful if we could spend a full generation following faithfully, and it may happen someday. In this generation, know that the love of God, the presence of God is with us no matter what.
February 24, 2014
Transfiguration
March 2, 2014
Psalm 106:1-13,43-48
1 Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD, or declare all his praise?
3 Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7 Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, so that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry; he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
43 Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes,
and were brought low through their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.
47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
The history of salvation is long and repetitive. God saves us and we wander off to do our own thing our own way. We figure we know better than God what is good for us and we go on our merry way to do those things. It’s all fun until we get ourselves into a situation beyond our ability. We cry out for God, who comes to pull us out. We make a promise that we will stay faithful this time, no matter what. God smiles and nods, knowing that we are going to be faithful until the next shiny thing comes along to draw our attention from our promised faithfulness. We know that God is annoyed with us as we wander off, however since we promised to be faithful this time, we don’t want to let God know that we are off the path until we are so far off we can’t possibly get back on our own.
Interestingly, God knows all this. God has been at this salvation history stuff a lot longer than any individual generation has been wandering, promising, calling and promising once more. I am guessing that it is nearly amusing to God that each generation follows the same pattern. In an early seminary class, the professor told us that churches go about ministry all wrong. We put young pups in charge of youth and wait until those same folks are older to have them working with older adults. It should be the other way around. A young pastor should work with older adults, senior citizens, so that when things go wrong the folks can assure the pastor that it is not the end of the world. Learn from this one and move on to the next mistake/learning experience. When those pastors get to be 30 and beyond, they work with youth, so that when things go wrong we can assure those youth that it is not the end of the world. God is the older, more mature person in this, who knows that our wanderings are not the end of the world and that someone might learn something through this.
For our part, there are folks who in each generation who find a way to be faithful. They are the ones who pray for us, who remind us that we are not the first to break a promise to God, who encourage us to cry out to for God way earlier than we actually do. We don’t usually listen to those wise, faithful folks, because we know that we are the first to ever wander this far away from God, so we can’t possibly be worthy of any of God’s care and concern.
And through it all God continues to love us, to invite us back into the fold of faithfulness, to come striding into the midst of our wanderings to guide us gently, safely back. Whether we have stepped one foot off the path or have run headlong into pain, danger or both, God is with us. Yes, it would be wonderful if we could spend a full generation following faithfully, and it may happen someday. In this generation, know that the love of God, the presence of God is with us no matter what.
February 24, 2014
Monday, February 20, 2012
Psalm Meditation 610
First Sunday in Lent
February 26, 2012
Psalm 106:1-13,44-48
1 Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord, or declare all his praise?
3 Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7 Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, so that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry; he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.
47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, "Amen." Praise the Lord!
(NRSV)
The verses edited out for space tell other instances of God’s people going off on their own way because they forgot that God could be trusted to watch over them. The stories are from the time of the exodus from Egypt as well as from the early years of living in the Promised Land. The people would do something that tried the patience of God as they chose to act as if the way of God did not make a difference, as if God could not provide for them. When they got caught in situations in which there was no good way out, they would cry out for God to save them from themselves and their actions. And when they asked, God acted to help them in their need.
The psalmist goes back to the exodus to remind us that God has been with us for a long time, leading us, protecting us, saving us from our foolishness that is sometimes accidental and sometimes purposeful. When we do find that we have wandered off and are separated from God, it is tempting to believe we have to do something to get back into the realm of God. The psalmist tells us that all we need to do is ask.
Being in the presence of God is not something we control, we can’t plead, or buy, or work our way into a closer relationship with God. We trust in God and lean on the steadfast love God has offered from the beginning. Do things always work out in our favor? No. Is it always better to trust God than to go off on our own? Yes. God is with us in all times and places. It is up to us to notice and appreciate the abiding presence of God.
© February 20, 2012
First Sunday in Lent
February 26, 2012
Psalm 106:1-13,44-48
1 Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord, or declare all his praise?
3 Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
7 Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, so that he might make known his mighty power.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry; he led them through the deep as through a desert.
10 So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left.
12 Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
44 Nevertheless he regarded their distress when he heard their cry.
45 For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
46 He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive.
47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.
48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, "Amen." Praise the Lord!
(NRSV)
The verses edited out for space tell other instances of God’s people going off on their own way because they forgot that God could be trusted to watch over them. The stories are from the time of the exodus from Egypt as well as from the early years of living in the Promised Land. The people would do something that tried the patience of God as they chose to act as if the way of God did not make a difference, as if God could not provide for them. When they got caught in situations in which there was no good way out, they would cry out for God to save them from themselves and their actions. And when they asked, God acted to help them in their need.
The psalmist goes back to the exodus to remind us that God has been with us for a long time, leading us, protecting us, saving us from our foolishness that is sometimes accidental and sometimes purposeful. When we do find that we have wandered off and are separated from God, it is tempting to believe we have to do something to get back into the realm of God. The psalmist tells us that all we need to do is ask.
Being in the presence of God is not something we control, we can’t plead, or buy, or work our way into a closer relationship with God. We trust in God and lean on the steadfast love God has offered from the beginning. Do things always work out in our favor? No. Is it always better to trust God than to go off on our own? Yes. God is with us in all times and places. It is up to us to notice and appreciate the abiding presence of God.
© February 20, 2012
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