Thursday, May 28, 2015

Today’s Reading  |  Psalm 62

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
     from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
     my fortress; I shall never be shaken.

How long will you assail a person,
     will you batter your victim, all of you,
     as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
     They take pleasure in falsehood;
they bless with their mouths,
     but inwardly they curse.

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
     for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
     my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
     my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
     pour out your heart before him;
     God is a refuge for us.

Those of low estate are but a breath,
     those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
     they are together lighter than a breath.
Put no confidence in extortion,
     and set no vain hopes on robbery;
     if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

Once God has spoken;
     twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
     and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
     according to their work. (NRSV)

Reflection
Although written thousands of years ago, Psalm 62 speaks with clarity to all of us in these times of uncertainty and anxiety. The psalmist reminds us that the hope that is true comes from God and in that hope alone do we discover salvation. We all stray from that hope as we struggle with the daily challenges of life, but God is always there, our rock and our refuge. The pure love of one person to another is a dim reflection of the love of God toward each of us.

As a parent I dearly love my two daughters, but sometimes they can make me frustrated or even angry, yet I never stop loving them. Sometimes they are discouraged or hurt by relationships with friends and think nobody likes them, so I remind them I still love them and always will. Perhaps this is how God feels toward each of us as we stray from or forget God’s love for every person. God’s love rolls on like a gentle stream through our lives even when we don’t realize or acknowledge that it is there. God’s love rolls on like a mighty river from one generation to another and through all eternity.

Prayer
O love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. Amen.
(Prayer from the hymn “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go” by George Matheson)

Reflection written by John W. W. Sherer, Organist and Director of Music

Reflection © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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