Tuesday, April 30, 2013

A Thought for Tuesday 4/30/13


“In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be put to shame.  Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape.  Incline Your ear to me and save me.  Be my strong refuge to which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.”  Psalm 71:1-3

Today seems to be one of those days that, starting early, is filled with the faithful facing great challenges and being unsure of which way to turn.  Fear can overwhelm us when we lose our confidence, when we begin to question our lives and the trials we are forced to endure.

Yet the psalmist refuses to let go of the Lord!  It is important to remember that these psalms are much more than mere liturgy or empty prayers for ancient Israel; the psalms express Israel’s enduring heart for the Lord in spite of being surrounded by enemies and dealing with apostates from within – these prayers express Israel’s actual experiences!  The expressions reflect much of what we face today as well, so the psalms help us to find the right words when our own words may fail us.

Our Lord assures us of His presence in many ways, so let US “incline OUR ear to HIM” and listen carefully.  What we hear may not be what we want to hear, but we have the assurance of faith that what we hear will be what we need to hear; for “You are [indeed our] rock and [our] fortress” when all else fails us.

Blessings,
Michael

No comments: