August 11, 2023 — Psalm 107 

“O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, those he redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.  Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to an inhabited town; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; he led them by a straight way, until they reached an inhabited town. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. For he satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things. Some sat in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in misery and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor; they fell down, with no one to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; he brought them out of darkness and gloom, 

and broke their bonds asunder. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. For he shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron.” (Verses 1-16) 

“Some sat in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in misery and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God… Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress” 

We often are the ones who place ourselves in the darkness of our times, in the prisons of our minds, and into the gloom that settles upon our souls. It does not always take an outside force to oppress us — we are pretty good at doing that to ourselves as well. 

I am reminded of the short story by E. A. Poe titled “Silence — A Fable”. In this short story, a man sits upon a rock while surrounded by desolation — and he sits there with his head upon his hand, not moved by the scene presented to him — as more and more chaos surrounds him and tries to scare him away. Finally when the man is presented with silence, he flees.  

This short story highlights what I like to call the “irony of silence”. While silence is akin to peace, it can also be a source of angst for many people. There are an abundance of apps for “white noise” so people can sleep at night — but shouldn’t we ache for more silence, and peace? We have been watching a lot of chaos all around us — throughout our country — throughout our world — and we too shudder at the desolation that seems to creep ever so close to so many. But too many of us are also unmoved by the chaos — we just seem to be sitting watching with a numb resolve. 

What happens to us when we finally choose to cry out to G-d for deliverance? Our G-d aches to come to us with that “still, small, voice” to say “Peace be with you — do not doubt, just believe.” 

Prayer 

O God, you are bread to the hungry, deliverance to the captive, healing to the sick, and harbor to every soul in peril. Gather the wanderers from every corner of the world into the community of your mercy and grace, that we may eternally praise you for our salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen. 

Pastor Dave

August 10, 2023 — Psalm 106

“Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD, or declare all his praise? Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them; 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. Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly. 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. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, so that he might make known his mighty power. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry; he led them through the deep as through a desert. So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy. The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.” (Verses 1-12)

In Psalm 106 the psalmist writes for a congregation whose purpose is to praise the LORD — but the beginning of praise is the recognition of the sin we have in our past and its consequences. Many of the Psalms list the ways the people have disappointed G-d in their past – and this becomes their confession of sin. The Psalmist then reminds the people that G-d’s wrath is followed by G-d’s salvation when the people cry out to him — and thus the concluding prayer for salvation.

Look, we long for peace, for calm, for stability. And we long for them in such a way that they will last — if not forever, at least for the next week. But no matter how upsetting life becomes, we must remember the Lord is good and his love is everlasting.

Deep within us is that place where the essence of our essence resides — and in that same place, by grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ also dwells. We become, by his grace what He is by his nature — the essence of what it means to be a “child of G-d” — loved as the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father. He is always with us, Emmanuel, and we with Him unless, once more, we, like the Israelites, seek to find our own salvation.  

Prayer

Merciful God, remembering your covenant, you graciously pardoned those who rebelled against you. Grant that, where sin abounds, grace may abound more; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Pastor Dave