Saturday, May 6, 2023

Today’s Scripture Reading 
Psalm 9

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before you.

For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.

You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name forever and ever.

The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins; their cities you have rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.

But the Lord sits enthroned forever, he has established his throne for judgment.

He judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with equity.

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion. Declare his deeds among the peoples.

For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

Be gracious to me, O Lord. See what I suffer from those who hate me; you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,

so that I may recount all your praises, and, in the gates of daughter Zion, rejoice in your deliverance.

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.

The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion.

The wicked shall depart to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail; let the nations be judged before you.

Put them in fear, O Lord; let the nations know that they are only human. (NRSV)

Reflection

Let the nations know that they are only human.

I know the psalmist means for that statement to be admonishing. Meant to put people in their place, if you will. But I find something about it immensely comforting.

What a relief it is to know that I’m only human. Not as an excuse to abdicate the responsibilities I have to my neighbors or as an excuse not to do my best to follow Jesus’ teachings, but as a reality check.

I’m only human. I’m not always the best version of myself. I can be impatient, prideful, judgmental, and selfish. I’m a work in progress; that will be true for my whole life. And it’s true for everyone else too.

So the next time I find myself irritated or impatient with someone, I’m going to try to keep this verse in mind and remember that we’re both only human.

Prayer

Especially in this Easter season, Jesus, I thank you for giving your life to save mine and for all the ways you call me and support me to keep trying to be like you, even though I’m only human. Amen.

Written by Nicole Spirgen, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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