Friday, November 27, 2015

Today’s Reading  |  Psalm 138  

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
   before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down toward your holy temple
   and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
   for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.
On the day I called, you answered me,
   you increased my strength of soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
   for they have heard the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
   for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;
   but the haughty he perceives from far away.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
   you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
   your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands. (NRSV)

Reflection
There are often times I am in my own thoughts too much. As my family likes to say, “Ashley, you are in Ashley world right now.” I tend to do that often when things come up that sit heavy on my heart: I get lost in my thoughts. There are times I will be walking down Michigan Avenue in my “Ashley world” not really paying attention to the things going on around me, which can be dangerous!

This psalm particularly speaks to me because it creates such a clear visual of just how God is protecting me. “You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes. . . . Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.” I imagine myself stuck in my thoughts with a busy world going by and the Lord just keeping guard, walking beside me. God knows I will make mistakes, knows that I will fail him, and yet God “preserves my life anyways” because he wants the best for me.

Having God as my foundation makes really challenging times all the more bearable, because God never “abandons the works of his hands.”

I have to stop and wonder, would I too do that for another, showing the same grace and mercy to them and protection for them as Christ does for me? Today I pray that we all be a shield for one another, just as Christ is for us.

Prayer
Lord, during the days that I do not feel I can get by, I thank you for keeping me safe, even when I do not acknowledge it. I praise you for all that you do for me on a daily basis and ask that you help me slow down so I can appreciate just how incredible your love is for me. Help me to better appreciate the work of your hands in my life. Amen.

Written by Ashley Elskus, Director, Center for Life and Learning

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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