“My heart overflows with a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever. Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice; let your right hand achieve awesome deeds. Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet. Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory; the music of the strings makes you glad. Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir. Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: Forget your people and your father’s house.” Psalm 45:1-10

The Psalmist is overflowing with a message of teaching — for again this is a Maskil — a teaching psalm. The word “overflow” in verse 1 is a verb meaning to “bubble up,” or “boil.” It connotes emotion — lively excitement that bubbles up from his very being. His tongue overflows with songs of praise. The heart of the poet gushes out with a “good word” from God. “My tongue is the pen of a skillful writer”.

Many can identify with the Psalmist in their enthusiasm, their joy and their love for Jesus as they consider all that he has done for us. We shout with excitement, “Hosanna in the Highest Heaven. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

C. H. Spurgeon, the great preacher and theologian wrote this about Christ:

“I believe that whenever our religion is most vital, it is most full of Christ. . . . I can bear witness that whenever I am in deeps of sorrow, nothing will do for me but “Jesus only.” . . . I retreat to the innermost citadel of our holy faith, namely, to the very heart of Christ, when my spirit is assailed by temptation, or besieged with sorrow and anguish.”

We need more of Jesus in our lives these days — and so it is good that we are deep within the Psalms and the rhythmic words of lament and praise.

PRAYERS

Lord God, you have formed the holy Church to be the bride of Christ. Grant to your Church the faith and peace she will need to do your will and to show your glory, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

April 16th — Psalm 46

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46

“Be still then, and know that I am God.” I am tired of being still these days. In fact, I am so tired of sitting that I have revived a workout regimen that I have not followed for quite a few years. My personality does not allow me to sit much, let alone to be still.

The question becomes, how do I sit still when there is a pandemic which closes most businesses, limits where I can go and gather, and repeatedly asks me to stay in place? The answer comes in the Psalm — “God is our refuge and strength.” When we are really struggling with how to accomplish a task, especially one that involves quiet and meditation, a good resource to turn to are the Psalms. Imagine sitting for some quiet time and simply saying over and over again “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” But this is why the Psalms were written — they were meant to be used for meditative and prayer purposes.

PRAYER

Lord God, our refuge and our strength, when the restless owners of this world and the waters of hell rise u against your holy city, watch over it and keep it safe. By the river that flows from the throne of the Lamb, unify this new Jerusalem as your chosen dwelling, for you are with us, our stronghold now and forever.

Amen.

“We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our ancestors; you crushed the peoples and made our ancestors flourish. It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them. You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes. I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever. But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies. You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us. You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations. You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.” Psalm 44:1-12

The book of Psalms is a collection of works which were gathered and collected over a long period of time. As some commentators note, it is clear from hints within the Psalms that various collections arose which were then, at some point, consolidated into a “collection of collections” as we have today. You wouldn’t think a psalm that talks about how G-d chooses not to answer prayer and this same G-d who leaves people suffering could be positive for the reader — except if you consider it in this encouraging but alternative kind of way. In considering this psalm of lament we are reminded that:

1. This is how life is. No one promised us a bed of roses — there is pain and suffering and we all will encounter those days.

2. G-d expects and accepts the cries, the screams and the strained questions from people who do not understand the pain in their life.

3. Confusion and concern is a valid part of a faithful life and is not something we should bottle up and hide.

G-d has called us to be disciples – even faithful, questioning, confused and fearful disciples. G-d knows how we think, how we feel and how we are scared a lot of the time — especially in times where there is a plague, or a pandemic. G-d knows what we endure and the Psalmist reminds us that G-d knows all — and accepts our angry, fearful, and pleading thoughts and prayers. But where else should we go but to G-d — in our prayers, and when we pray the Psalms.

PRAYER

Lord, rise up and come to your aid. You are the King who knows the secrets of our hearts; fill us with the light of truth and with your strong arm lead us to freedom, as you mightily delivered our ancestors; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.