Dearest e-votees-
We will use our appointed Psalm to help shape our devotions this week. Have a blessed celebration of the 4th of July. May your independence and your freedom, which came at great cost, be used in ways to bless others.
Peace,
Karl
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Here is our assigned Psalm for this coming Sunday:
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
Psalm 145:8-14, NRSV
This is a Psalm of David. Consider the many ways that David exalts the Lord and how it brings into sharp relief how we are not always like the Lord.
The Lord is gracious. How full of grace are we? What are the first thoughts and impressions we have of ones who do things differently than us? Do we gift them with the best construction on their actions? Or do we hold them to a law to which we ourselves are unable to fulfill?
The Lord is merciful. How full of mercy are we? When we catch someone dead to rights do we unleash our furor? Do we err on leniency and mercy or firm and fair punishments (at least in our own estimations).
The Lord is slow to anger. How patient are we? When someone irritates us (knowingly or inadvertently) do we have a fuse of long-suffering or are we just on the brink of exploding? How many times are we willing to forgive if we are approached by one seeking forgiveness and restoration?
The Lord is abounding in steadfast love. Do we abound in love? Is it a steadfast love or a fickle love? Is our love a deep and abiding love that comes as a gift from God or is it a flighty, self-serving, quickly redirected love? Do those we love feel secure and assured?
The Lord is faithful in all his words. Are we faithful? Are we faithful in our words? Are we faithful in all our words? Do we mean what we say? Do we say what we mean? Do promises from our lips truthfully come to pass or flutter away to hopefully be forgotten?
The Lord is gracious in all his deeds. Are we gracious? Are we gracious in our deeds—not just our thoughts and attitudes? Are we gracious in all our deeds? Do our actions bear into the world the grace which we have ourselves received from Jesus?
The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. Do we help steady those who are falling? Or do we push the weak and the sickly out of the herd so some predator might take them instead of us? Do we help raise up those who are bowed down or heap even more weight on them so that they maybe won’t ever rise again? How do we treat those who are struggling on the fringes?
I don’t know about you but these questions call me up short revealing the many ways I have failed to grow up into my baptism. The good news is all the characteristics that David lifts up about his Lord are true of our Lord, too. We share this same loving, long-suffering, gracious and faithful God.
May we grow up more into our baptisms this week. May we be mindful that the calling on us is to be more like our Lord. When we fail—and we will—we can lean deeply into the promises about God’s forgiving and abiding character.
Let’s close this devotion with a prayer that is commonly used as a table grace. It comes from the next two verses immediately after our assigned text.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. Amen.
Peace,
Karl
-------------
Here is our assigned Psalm for this coming Sunday:
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
This is a Psalm of David. Consider the many ways that David exalts the Lord and how it brings into sharp relief how we are not always like the Lord.
The Lord is gracious. How full of grace are we? What are the first thoughts and impressions we have of ones who do things differently than us? Do we gift them with the best construction on their actions? Or do we hold them to a law to which we ourselves are unable to fulfill?
The Lord is merciful. How full of mercy are we? When we catch someone dead to rights do we unleash our furor? Do we err on leniency and mercy or firm and fair punishments (at least in our own estimations).
The Lord is slow to anger. How patient are we? When someone irritates us (knowingly or inadvertently) do we have a fuse of long-suffering or are we just on the brink of exploding? How many times are we willing to forgive if we are approached by one seeking forgiveness and restoration?
The Lord is abounding in steadfast love. Do we abound in love? Is it a steadfast love or a fickle love? Is our love a deep and abiding love that comes as a gift from God or is it a flighty, self-serving, quickly redirected love? Do those we love feel secure and assured?
The Lord is faithful in all his words. Are we faithful? Are we faithful in our words? Are we faithful in all our words? Do we mean what we say? Do we say what we mean? Do promises from our lips truthfully come to pass or flutter away to hopefully be forgotten?
The Lord is gracious in all his deeds. Are we gracious? Are we gracious in our deeds—not just our thoughts and attitudes? Are we gracious in all our deeds? Do our actions bear into the world the grace which we have ourselves received from Jesus?
The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. Do we help steady those who are falling? Or do we push the weak and the sickly out of the herd so some predator might take them instead of us? Do we help raise up those who are bowed down or heap even more weight on them so that they maybe won’t ever rise again? How do we treat those who are struggling on the fringes?
I don’t know about you but these questions call me up short revealing the many ways I have failed to grow up into my baptism. The good news is all the characteristics that David lifts up about his Lord are true of our Lord, too. We share this same loving, long-suffering, gracious and faithful God.
May we grow up more into our baptisms this week. May we be mindful that the calling on us is to be more like our Lord. When we fail—and we will—we can lean deeply into the promises about God’s forgiving and abiding character.
Let’s close this devotion with a prayer that is commonly used as a table grace. It comes from the next two verses immediately after our assigned text.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. Amen.
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