This is from the Lectionary
Psalm 59
Deliver Me from My Enemies
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam [4] of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.
59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
protect me from those who rise up against me;
2 deliver me from those who work evil,
and save me from bloodthirsty men.
3 For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
fierce men stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,
4 for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Awake, come to meet me, and see!
5 You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah
6 Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
7 There they are, bellowing with their mouths
with swords in their lips—
for “Who,” they think, [5] “will hear us?”
8 But you, O Lord, laugh at them;
you hold all the nations in derision.
9 O my Strength, I will watch for you,
for you, O God, are my fortress.
A REFLECTION:
I have been wondering what kinds of things to ask of God? And wondering what sorts of things are appropriate and good to ask for?
What does the content of this psalm say about the one writing it?
What strikes me when I read this Psalm is not just what the Psalmist asks of God, but rather, what kind of relation to God he must believe he has that he can ask the the things he asks. I can't imagine being this bold with God. To me, it feels odd, or inappropriate. But, I like it for some reason. It feels honest. Feels true.
What voice do I use when praying to God, and what does that say about how I feel about God?
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2 comments:
reading this psalm makes me thankful that god doesn't always answer our prayers. i mean, what if god destroyed other people or nations just because we asked?
it is good to hear a reading of this text that is one of boldness because that is not where i go with it. with this psalm and others like it, i read a very whiny voice, almost throwing a tantrum at god.
that should give you some insight into my life story if nothing else. good thoughts zach. thanks
Good call, Jon.
I can hear it, now, actually:
The psalmic whininess. :(
:) What sorts of insights are you talking about with regard to you?
Zach
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