From the gates of death ...

Hear the words of the psalmist;
read closely and meditate on these words:

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
Declare his deeds among the peoples.
For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

Be gracious to me, O Lord.
See what I suffer from those who hate me;
you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
so that I may recount all your praises,
and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
rejoice in your deliverance.

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

Higgaion. Selah

The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail;
let the nations be judged before you.
Put them in fear, O Lord;
let the nations know that they are only human.

As we meditate on these words, let us consider:
How is the Lord a stronghold in our life?

Since we know God’s name, how are we called
to trust him today?

How can our lives “sing praises to the Lord ” today?

What does it mean to me for God to be “the one
who lifts me up from the gates of death?”

Consider the ways in which we might plead
for the Lord to “rise up” in our lives today.

Grace and peace,

Ron

Psalm 9:9-20 – NRSV

Thirst on the edge of survival

The original "As the Deer . . ." is a great psalm:

As the deer pants for ravines of water,
So my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, the living God;
When will I come and appear before you, O God?
My tears are my bread, day and night,
They say to me all day, "Where is your God?"
This I remember and I pour out my soul:
For I led the throng in procession
to the house of God,
With a voice ringing with joy and thanksgiving
in the tumult of the crowd.
Why are you downcast, O my soul,
and why do you mutter within me?
Hope in God, for still I will give thanks to him,
my salvation, my God.

(Ps 42.1-6 RB)

Sometimes we have the feeling that the song presents a serene, silvan setting in which this strong, noble stag pauses in his frolic to consider his thirst during the early morning hours. Instead, the psalmist presents a picture of an animal, haggard from a lengthy chase, longing for a sip of water even from a shallow puddle in the midst of the rocks, left over from the last rain. The heart of the deer is about to burst from deep within its chest. The thirst is overwhelming, and the fear is tangible. The confidence and power of this once-noble animal have been poured out.

Only God can fill this thirst.
Only God can calm this heart.
Only God can deliver his creation from its enemies.
God alone is its shelter.
God alone is salvation.

Let him be our Rock;
Let him be our living water;
May the steadfast love of the Lord
never cease to sustain us.

Trust in his grace,
find comfort in his peace.

Ron