Thursday, June 23, 2016

Today’s Reading  |  Psalm 33 

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
   Praise befits the upright.
Praise the Lord with the lyre;
   make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
Sing to him a new song;
   play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the word of the Lord is upright,
   and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
   the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
   and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;
   he put the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
   let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
   he commanded, and it stood firm.

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
   he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
   the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,
   the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.

The Lord looks down from heaven;
   he sees all humankind.
From where he sits enthroned he watches
   all the inhabitants of the earth--
   he who fashions the hearts of them all,
   and observes all their deeds.
A king is not saved by his great army;
   a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
   and by its great might it cannot save.

Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
   on those who hope in his steadfast love,
to deliver their soul from death,
   and to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;
   he is our help and shield.
Our heart is glad in him,
   because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
   even as we hope in you. (NRSV)

Reflection
I love songs; they can express so many different emotions. On my phone I have playlist after playlist—songs for working, songs for working out, songs for good days, songs for bad days . . . the lists continue, but you get the idea. Depending on the day, I will pick a playlist and generally sing along with the music I have chosen.

Similarly, David has psalms, many of which he put to music; psalms of praise, psalms for lament, psalms for the days in between. Psalm 33 seems to me like a psalm for the days in between. It reminds us to give thanks, to celebrate, to fear, and that God is in control. It is a check-in: How are you doing? Are you doing what you need to be doing? What is the next step you need to take? Trust that, because God is with you, even when you are scared. Give thanks and sing along.

Prayer
God, thank you for the wonderful gifts you have given me; for your wonderful creation, blooming before me; for the talents you have bestowed upon me. Thank you for checking in and caring how I am doing. Remind me that I am your creation and you made me for your purpose, that you have a plan for me. Please give me the strength to trust it. Amen.

Written by Katie Patterson, Junior High and Youth Mission Coordinator

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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