May 7th — Psalm 67

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.” Psalm 67

So many people in this world are lost. They do not know where they came from, why they are here, and where they will go after death. Thus, their vision of life in this realm is solely focused on what they can get before they die. The Devil then comes along and fills their minds with his desires, misleading them with all that leads only to death. These people need to know the ways of the Lord and the Lord needs you and me to be at the forefront of this endeavor. There is nothing like a pandemic to help people feel even more lost — and to believe that the Devil has taken charge.

As such, the people of this world are also blinded by the Devils tricks. Salvation belongs to G-d alone, and nothing is more important than for the Lord to have an army of believers who know G-d. The psalmist prays that the “nations will be glad and sing for joy” as a response to the Lord’s presence — that the ways and salvation of God may be known throughout the earth.

The faith of G-d’s people must be strong in the Lord so we will resist evil and that others may be strengthened and encouraged to resist the evil one as well.

PRAYER

God of wisdom, through your power the earth has brought forth its noblest fruit, the tree of the cross. Unite all people in its embrace, and feed us with its fruit, everlasting life through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

May 8th — Psalm 68

“Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, let the wicked perish before God. But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy. Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds—his name is the Lord—be exultant before him. Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land.

O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel. Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad; you restored your heritage when it languished; your flock found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. The Lord gives the command; great is the company of those who bore the tidings: “The kings of the armies, they flee, they flee!”

The women at home divide the spoil, though they stay among the sheepfolds—the wings of a dove covered with silver, its pinions with green gold. When the Almighty scattered kings there, snow fell on Zalmon.” Psalm 68:1-14

This Psalm in the Old Testament shows that the heart of G-d in the Old Testament is the same as G-d’s heart in the New Testament. G-d desires to save us from sin, death, the devil and all earthly desires that heap undue volumes of burdens upon us. The greatest burden that often goes unspoken is the burden of our sins — and it is our sins that crushed the Lord Jesus, who bore them on the cross. How much more will He bear the much lighter burden of our day to day troubles. Just as we trust our Lord to forgive us our sins, we must trust Jesus to bear our burdens.

Every day, in these days of sheltering in place, we have a lot of time to think, to contemplate, and to pray. As such, as we come out of our daily prayer time, we must come out free of the condemnation of sin — or in other words, when we live knowing that Jesus forgives us, then we are free from the burden of our troubles and free from the fear of death.

But we cannot do this alone. It requires the presence of the Holy Spirit and our relationship with G-d — the spirit-filled life is one full of vitality and life. The Gospels show us that sin, death and evil are nothing in the hands of our G-d who alone can save us from them. Furthermore, the keys of death and of Hades are also firmly in His hands. When we live in the presence of the cross of Jesus, then we know that when we die, we will live on in the age to come resting in the presence of Jesus. He alone can help us bear death in this world and He alone will carry us to the next — where we shall never die.

PRAYER

God of majesty, when we were in captivity your Son was lifted high on the cross to lead us into freedom. Support us day by day. May our lives praise you and our voices proclaim your good news to all people, that they may find their hope in you and live to your honor and glory; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

May 1st — Psalm 61

“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I; for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me abide in your tent forever, find refuge under the shelter of your wings. For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! So I will always sing praises to your name, as I pay my vows day after day.” Psalm 61

Psalm 61 was written by a Psalmist at a time when he must have been far from home and safety. It begins with his desperate cry to G-d. He is despairing, lost, and struggling. “My heart is faint!” he tells the Lord.

If we are honest, many of us can relate to these feelings. We know what it is like to sit in darkness, alone, sheltering in place, scared of things we cannot see and wondering if all of this will soon end. In his sorrow, the Psalmist calls out to G-d in prayer. He knows that the only way he can rest and find safety in the Rock of Salvation is if G-d reaches down and places him atop the rock.

In G-d, many have found the shelter they needed in their darkest hours. Many have found rest, comfort, and retreat when the world has closed in and all seemed lost. So why would we not, in our darkest moments, cry out to the G-d who is our “rock,” our shelter, our hiding place, and our fortress? And as we cry out, just like the Psalmist we know we will find comfort in G-d’s grace and care.

Sometimes, when our hearts are overwhelmed, all we need do is cry out to G-d and ask that in our desperation and fear, G-d would place us on stable ground. G-d would comfort us and lead us to safety. G-d would shelter us and deliver us. What is overwhelming you in this season besides the Covid-19 virus and the variety of sheltering-in demands and activities? What weighs heavy on your heart? Hopefully, the words of this song and Psalm will bring you comfort and a small amount of peace as you remember that when your heart is overwhelmed, you can always find rest in G-d your rock.

PRAYER

O God our refuge, in the midst of violence be a tower of safety for all who cry out to you. Strengthen our faith in your mercy, that we may sing your praise from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

May 2nd — Psalm 62

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken. How long will you assail a person, will you batter your victim, all of you, as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence? Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence. They take pleasure in falsehood; they bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion, in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.” Psalm 62

In 1777, Dr. William Dodd, a London clergyman, was condemned to be hanged for forgery. When his last sermon, delivered in prison, was published, a friend commented to Samuel Johnson that the effort was far better than he had thought the man capable of. Dr. Johnson replied, “Depend upon it, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”

The difficulty with reading and looking for some comfort in Psalm 62 perhaps is this: very few of us have ever been in the desperate straits that the Psalmist was in and so we cannot truly relate to what he says here. “How long will you assail a person, will you batter your victim, all of you…” It appears many were threatening his life and scheming to kill him. The main theme of the psalm is the right and wrong objects of faith. If we trust in G-d, we will not allow anything to deter our hope. If we trust in men or in things of this earth, we’re depending on that which is just a breath. “On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.” This is a statement of faith we can all find comfort and rest.

PRAYER

God of steadfast love, in a constantly changing world we look to you as our rock of hope. Hear us as we pour out our hearts to you, and give us your grace and protection; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.