September 22 — Psalm 144

“Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; my rock and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues the peoples under me. O LORD, what are human beings that you regard them, or mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath; their days are like a passing shadow. Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains so that they smoke. Make the lightning flash and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them. Stretch out your hand from on high; set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hand of aliens, whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hands are false. I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, the one who gives victory to kings, who rescues his servant David. Rescue me from the cruel sword, and deliver me from the hand of aliens, whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hands are false. May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars, cut for the building of a palace. May our barns be filled, with produce of every kind; may our sheep increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields, and may our cattle be heavy with young. May there be no breach in the walls, no exile, and no cry of distress in our streets. Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the LORD.”

“They are like a breath; their days are like a passing shadow.”

A shadow is created when light is disrupted; for when no object intercepts the light of the sun, or when the light of the sun has faded, no shadow is produced. In like manner, the state of our existence is made up of both light and shadows.

When you were little, you may have played a game I like to call “shadow tag”. The idea was to play a game of tag, but the way to tag someone was to step upon their shadow. Now, you mention to a young child about stepping upon their shadow, and they may ask “Won’t that hurt?” Of course, even though a shadow seems to be something, in reality it is nothing. If you try to grasp it, you soon realize it is nothing but emptiness. A shadow never remains the same, for either we are in motion, or the earth continues to spin. Eventually, the earth will move in such a manner that, at length, all shadows around us will finally and certainly cease.

A life, depending upon where that life may currently reside, usually has the chance to exist for at least three score years and ten (that would be seventy years for those not raised in the 19th century). Of course, each life has no promise for anything — not the next second — not even our very next breath is secured. There will be people in our lives who will seemingly come and go with the suddenness of a shadow — it is the way of this life.

Though our lives, like our shadows, may seem to come and go at the whim of fate — Lord we pray that our lives leave a trace of our existence through our love for you and for our neighbor. May our presence offer shade for those burned by the heat of hate and suffering — and may our love for you shine like the sun, so that nothing over-shadows our love.

Let us Pray:

Generous and bountiful God, give compassion to the prosperous and comfort to those in need, that all people may come to love and praise you; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

September 21 — Psalm 143

“Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness; answer me in your righteousness. Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. For the enemy has pursued me, crushing my life to the ground, making me sit in darkness like those long dead. Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. I remember the days of old, I think about all your deeds, I meditate on the works of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me, or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit. Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Save me, O LORD, from my enemies; I have fled to you for refuge. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path. For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life. In your righteousness bring me out of trouble. In your steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries, for I am your servant.”

“No one living is righteous before you.”

This is the truth about all people — no human being will be found to be righteous before G-d. The Psalmist knows the truth of the human condition — all have fallen short of the glory of G-d. Sinfulness is our very condition. Repentance is in order because of what we are, not just because of what we have done.

But the psalmist obviously does not know that the work of Jesus Christ will be salvific for all people. G-d’s righteousness through Jesus Christ replaces the judgment due for all of humanity.

In this psalm a mortal foe has come to do works of evil and death. The enemy is not named; but the enemy is many. This prayer-filled Psalm gives the plea not for a sin, but because the assault of the enemy and the prospect of death bring to light human unrighteousness before G-d. Repentance is turning to God for salvation from the darkness and death that is our lot. It is a move of hope, a stretching out of the hands to be saved.

The Psalmist prays, “Teach me the way I should go”. I often find myself making the very same request of G-d — teach me the way. It will be through the teachings of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit that you and I will find our clearest direction. We should dare to ask G-d for divine help — for it is G-d’s good pleasure to offer such help for all of G-d’s creation, so that we may do what is pleasing in G-d’s sight.

Let us Pray:

God of our hope, you bring the first light of dawn to those who live in the dark places of desolation and fear. Send your good Spirit to lead us on firm and level ground, that we may put our trust in you and do what is pleasing in your sight; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.