Tag: Psalms

Links for today’s readings:

Dec 8  Read: 2 Chronicles 8 Listen: (3:02) Read: Psalms 116 Listen: (1:34)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 116:3-7

3 The cords of death entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!”

5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;
    our God is full of compassion.
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.

7 Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the Lord has been good to you.

Reflection: Peace and Rest — Peace of Advent

By Erin Newton

Despite the joy of the Christmas season, I find myself utterly exhausted—and it is only week two. In other ways, I am emotionally spent, having been emotionally exhausted from grief, unmet expectations, unrealistic fears, and the uncertainty of our daily lives. It is overwhelming.

This same plea and exhaustion reverberated through the hearts of God’s people two millennia ago. The prophets foretold salvation, but it had not yet come. They promised the people peace and rest for their weary souls, but it had not come to fruition. They cast a vision of things being made right, but so much was still terribly wrong.

But Jesus came. What was promised began its path to fulfillment.

In the darkness of those ancient days, peace and rest had been promised but without the Messiah, our Jesus Christ, it was still only just an unfulfilled promise. Perhaps they enjoyed momentary peace. Things would be okay for a little while. Relationships would get along fairly well. People would find some assurance in their stance before God. But the peace that truly endures comes through faith in Christ. Praise God it has now come.

What I love about Advent is the realization that we are not stuck in the distressing and exhausting “cords of death” that wrap themselves around us. When we have come to know the Lord, we realize that the peace of his advent is with us here and now. We can repeat in our hearts the call: Return to your rest, my soul.

Can you hear it? The promise of peace is a harbor of rest for your soul. It is an invitation to come in, sit down, stay awhile.

The peace of Advent, for us, is knowing that our souls have returned to rest (or at least that opportunity is offered to us). Often we are too busy with the season. Commercial Advent calendars tempt us to keep things exciting for 24 days straight. New items! New projects! New activities!

Can the peace of Advent be letting your soul return to rest this week? That might look like praying Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1.46-55) with your coffee one morning. It might be laying aside the urge to add presents when your friends and family probably prefer presence. It might be counting the ways “the Lord has been good to you.”

In whatever way you choose, let the peace of Advent guide your soul to rest.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and glorify your Name forevermore. — Psalm 86.12

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

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Links for today’s readings:

Dec 4  Read: 2 Chronicles 3-4 Listen: (5:42) Read: Psalms 108-109 Listen: (4:28)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 108.1, 10-13

Reflection: Steadfast Hope — Hope of Advent

By John Tillman

Do even steadfast hearts waver?

Having a “steadfast heart” is a common theme in psalms and elsewhere in scripture. It typically describes those who are determined to be firm, unwavering, and loyal to God.

The first few lines of Psalm 108 are a beautiful testimony of praise. But even the psalmist of the steadfast heart has moments where his heart skips a beat and doubts, anxieties, and fears flutter to the surface.

In the middle of the poem, the psalmist recalls God’s voice from the sanctuary and his promises. God speaks like a warrior returning from conquering enemies and liberating the oppressed. Shechem, Sukkoth, Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Judah represent God’s people as prized possessions. Moab, Edom, and Philistia represent the people’s subdued enemies. The psalmist remembers that God promised honor and safety to his people, and victory over their enemies. But where is that victory? The psalmist doesn’t see it. The psalmist doesn’t see God.

The psalmist is outside a fortified city, where God no longer goes out with his people. The people need to be saved. There are enemies to be defeated and dangers to be delivered from, but where is God? The “right hand” of God does not move to help. The God who would lead them to safety or to victorious battle has rejected them. The “human help” they have reached for is worthless, and the aid of the Almighty is absent. The God who would gain the victory seems to have abandoned them.

Yet the psalmist still hopes. “With God we will gain the victory…” Despite not seeing God, despite feeling abandoned, despite being rejected, despite looking up at the fortified walls of an undefeatable enemy, the steadfast heart hopes.

This psalm ends unresolved. The psalmist waits, sometimes wavers, but holds steadfast hope. Do you feel like the psalmist? I do. Dangers and enemies seem abundant. Where is God in the midst of this chaos and darkness?

Like the psalmist, return to what God has spoken. The psalmist heard God from the sanctuary. Our sanctuary is in the words of Jesus. The promises we have in Jesus are already true and not yet fully manifested. In Advent, we wait and hope in the dark, remembering that the light has already come and has promised to come again.

When your steadfast heart wavers, return to Jesus’ promises. In him, we have and will have victory.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

Your testimonies are very sure, and holiness adorns your house, O Lord, forever and forevermore. — Psalm 93.6

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Mercy Seat and Manger — Hope of Advent

David met an angel, made a sacrifice, and prepared a place to welcome God’s presence. Generations later, David’s daughter, Mary, did the same to welcome Jesus.

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Links for today’s readings:

Dec 3  Read: 2 Chronicles 2  Listen: (3:41) Read: Psalms 107 Listen: (4:12)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 107.4-16

Reflection: Dependent Hope — Hope of Advent

By John Tillman

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves.” Jefferson referred to humans suffering from earthly despotism and tyranny, but the principle applies elsewhere.

The psalmist writes of being lost in wastelands from wandering, chained by tyrannies resulting from rebellion, and hopeless in darkness due to rejecting the light. All tyrants promise freedom. All evils call themselves good. All sin calls itself righteous. Believing these claims, we often go step by step down slippery slopes into the sufferings of many kinds.

The sufferings grow slowly, like gradually rising muck in a sinkhole or cave. At our ankles, we say, “It isn’t so bad.” At our knees, we say, “I can always go back.” At our waist, we say, “Well, I’ve come this far.” By the time we say, “This is intolerable,” it’s at our armpits. By the time we say, “I must get out,” it threatens our chin.

How do we hope to get out? The psalmist says we don’t. God comes to get us. That’s what Advent celebrates. God comes to lost wanderers and leads them out of the wilderness. God comes to those in darkness to bring light. God comes to those imprisoned to break bars and shackles. 

Jefferson disbelieved miracles. He called Jesus’ teachings a “sublime and benevolent code of morals” yet cut everything miraculous from his New Testament with a razor blade, including Jesus’ miraculous Advent.

Extraordinarily committed and fortunate individuals, like Jefferson and other Declaration signers, might shake off a human tyrant to enjoy a limited measure of freedom for a limited time. But from the tyrants that really matter, sin and death, we cannot break free. We cannot “right ourselves.” Our hope is not in glorious revolution or declaring our independence. Hope is dependent on God’s arrival. The advent of his kingdom is our only hope.

If Jesus’ kingdom was of this world, we would take up arms to fight. Instead we take up towels to wash feet in service, take up crosses to deny ourselves in humility, and take up his gospel to declare our dependence upon it.

Commit your life, fortune, and sacred honor to Christ’s description of his kingdom’s advent. May the spirit of the Lord be upon us bringing good news to the poor, loosing the captives, making the blind see, and lifting the oppressed to stand in freedom.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Let us make a vow to the Lord our God and keep it; let all around him bring gifts to him who is worthy to be feared. — Psalm 76.11

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Scandalous Surprise of Hope — The Hope of Advent

Who are we to have such hope as advent promises? That Christ would come to us is baffling, surprising, and to some, scandalous.

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Links for today’s readings:

Dec 2  Read: 2 Chronicles 1 Listen:(2:47)  Read: Psalms 106 Listen: (4:52)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 106.1-5, 44-47

Reflection: Enduring Love — Hope of Advent

By John Tillman

“Come to my aid when you save them…” Despite the long history of sin and rebellion the psalmist confessed, he expected God’s arrival, bringing salvation. He looked to God’s advent with hope.

The psalm begins with a familiar phrase: “his love endures forever.” (Psalm 136; Ezra 3.11; Jeremiah 33.10-11) The psalmist’s hope for salvation is not based on his or Israel’s worthiness. His hope is in God’s unchanging nature of faithful and enduring love. This enduring love is expressed in God’s self-description to Moses. (Exodus 34.6-7) 

When someone says, “Tell me about yourself,” what is the first thing you think to say? Your career? Your hobbies? Your music tastes? Your exercise habits? In these situations, we are often burdened with insecurities. Not only might we be unsure how to answer, we might not want to “overshare” or reveal too much in awkward social situations.

God doesn’t have insecurities or doubts about his nature and glory. God does not always reveal everything about himself to all people at all times, however, when he does reveal himself, he does so exactly as he intends. So when Moses asked to see God’s “glory,” it is notable that the first descriptors God chose to use were “compassionate” and “gracious.” 

God is a compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love kind of God. This faithful and enduring love does not overlook injustice and sin, withhold discipline, or bend righteousness to our crooked ways. God’s judgment, discipline, and even his wrath, are motivated by his love for the victims of the suffering sin causes and do us good by correction and restoration. God’s faithful love punishes, but also restores.

God’s faithful, enduring love sent Jesus to be born, exhibit righteousness, suffer testing and death, and be resurrected, victorious over all sin. 

During Advent, follow the psalmist’s example and examine yourself individually and ourselves collectively. Like Israel and the psalmist, we do not deserve salvation. Our Advent hope is based not in our worthiness but in God’s nature of enduring, faithful love.

Are we willing to confess our individual and collective sins and wicked actions? Are we hopeful that he will hear our cry? Do we praise the Lord for the mercy we have now and cry out in faith for the salvation to come?

Let us look to our past and repent and look to our future and rejoice. Our enduring hope flows from God’s enduring love.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence

Show us the light of your countenance, O God, and come to us. — Psalm 67.1

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: This We Proclaim — Hope of Advent

At the time when all seems to be sinking, God rises and raises us with him.

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Links for today’s readings:

Nov 26   Read: 1 Chronicles 22 Listen: (3:25)   Read: Psalms 97-98 Listen: (2:19)

Links for tomorrow’s readings:

Nov 27   Read: 1 Chronicles 23  Listen: (4:20) Read: Psalms 99-101 Listen: (2:42)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 100:4

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving

Reflection: A Psalm for Thanksgiving

By Erin Newton

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Gather around the dinner table, smile and laugh. Curl up in chairs and on the floor with blankets by the fire’s warm glow. Breathe in the crisp autumn air and let your creaturely body run wild and free. Everywhere nature sings to God: the orange and yellow leaves; the crisp brown crunch of acorns; the rustling winds through the bare grass; the birds fluffing their feathers, capturing the warmth; the mild days and the quiet, longer nights. The days slow down, giving our souls the chance to join creation in a shout of joy.

Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Quiet your mind and let go of your grip. He holds our breath. He holds our life. He holds our future. Like children tucked in warm blankets drifting carefree, we are his. This green planet is our pasture. We graze and frolic and rest under his care. He has created us to enjoy the blue skies, the sunsets and the sunrises, the full moons and the shooting stars. We give thanks, and he keeps guard.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

The whole of creation, the shelter of our homes, the tabernacle of our bodies invite him in with thanksgiving. Enter the gates of life with unending thanksgiving to him. Enter into community with family and friends, knowing he has created this world for you to thank him.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;  his faithfulness continues through all generations.

He is good. He is “the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God.” Knowing the Lord is the joy that can never be taken away. It endures. It endures hardship. It endures time. It endures the dark nights of the soul. You are loved. You are known. And you are never forgotten from generation to generation. For as our Lord is good and loving, he bestows that on you.

May your Thanksgiving and holiday season be a gateway to hope that exceeds expectation, that exceeds present circumstances, that surprises even yourself. And may we enter his gates with thanksgiving this season.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are they who trust in him! — Psalm 34.8

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: We Gather Together – Hymns for Giving Thanks

This God who leads us through the challenges of life is worthy of our humble adoration. “Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!”

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