Saturday, November 11, 2023  

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Today’s Scripture Reading
Psalm 4

Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.

How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies?

But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.

When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent.

Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.

There are many who say, “O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!”

You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound.

I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.

(NRSV)

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Reflection

According to a recent CDC study more than a third of people in the United States struggle with sleep deficits. Anecdotally, I’ve noticed that for many in our community, restless nights have become an all too familiar companion to their lives in this tumultuous last decade with our global pandemic, increased violence, and civil strife. Our sleep and our conscience are disturbed by the anxieties of our time. In the same way the Psalmist reminds us that sin, whether our own or that of the world, can leave us disturbed, dishearteningly mulling in our beds at night.

As I think of the hostilities now occurring in Israel and Palestine, Israeli homes invaded, elderly and young children taken from their beds and their Gazan counterparts caught in the middle of a war with artillery raining down upon them, I’ve been thinking about that word safety often. At Fourth Church we speak much of engaging in the work of peacebuilding and antiviolence in our city and beyond. But sometimes the overwhelming reality of violence is enough to make me shudder and weep. How precious and fleeting is true safety.

Nevertheless the Psalmist beseeches us to consider that peace and safety are possible. Drawing on a vision of glad times that exceed even our most prosperous moments, the Psalmist reminds us that God’s love and promises for safety eclipse this fraught moment. Somehow we can experience peace in the midst of the storm and the possibility that ultimate peace will come not from our military might or even our temporary policy solutions, but from the grace of a God who sees all, cares for all, and deeply loves all.

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Prayer
Holy God, redeemer of the vulnerable, leaning on your goodness and the promise of gladness, we pray for those whose lives are caught in the crucible of conflict. May they have comfort as they await your peace which brings true safety. Amen.

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Written by Joe Morrow, Associate Pastor for Evangelism and Community Engagement

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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