Reflections
Psalm 40: 2, 3. 4, 18 (Read)
"Lord, come to my aid!"
Our
psalmist waits for the Lord
to
reach out to him. He begs
the
Lord, “Lord, come to my aid!”
In
Sunday's first reading
the
prophet Jeremiah was lifted
out of
the cistern. (Jeremiah
38:10)
So
too our psalmist
David says,
“The
Lord drew me out of the
pit
of destruction.”
We are like that.
We
are weak on our own;
we
need the Lord’s strength to be
delivered
from our sinful ways.
We
put our trust in God.
Our
God is an awesome God.
“Many
shall look on in awe
and
trust in the Lord.”
Our
psalmist says, “He put a
new song
into my mouth.”
For us, too, it
is no longer the
same old tune. We
are in fact
a new creation, joyfully
singing
out the good news.
Where
does our joyful spirit
come from? It
comes from the
Lord, and we are called to
share
what He has given us and to do
his
will, which is our delight.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our Psalm recalls for us
that we place our trust in the
Lord. Speak of how
you have been lifted up and delivered by God.
2. Our psalmist says that the Lord has put a new song into his mouth.
This reminds us that we are a new creation in the Lord. Tell of how you have been
reborn in the Spirit.
2. Our psalmist says that the Lord has put a new song into his mouth.
This reminds us that we are a new creation in the Lord. Tell of how you have been
reborn in the Spirit.
"Lord, help me... I lift it up to Jesus...God, take over...Holy Spirit, breathe into the situation..." These are phrases from my daily prayers, sometimes uttered several times a day, appealing to all three persons in the Holy Trinity. (I may as well beg for help from as many sources as I can.)
ReplyDeleteIndeed, I implore our Lord to "come to my aid" on a regular basis. I also pray that blessed Mary will intercede for me at every opportunity.
How am I changed through these prayerful habits? How am I "lifted up and delivered?" How am I "reborn in the Spirit?" The answer isn't obvious.
I must contemplate.
I suppose that there is a zero sum total of either Christ OR me... In my heart. He must increase so that I decrease. A popular bumper sticker reads HE>i. He should be greater in me so that I can be filled with a Christ-like spirit always. I certainly don't want my own fleshly ways to dominate my spirit. And yet often that happens.
My answer is that I cannot be discouraged by this struggle; that is where the enemy wants me, helpless in my self-pity. Instead, I get up again and persistently pray, "Lord, come to my aid..." Through this perseverance, I grow and am "delivered and reborn."
The image above drew my attention, " Lord come to my aid."
ReplyDeleteHe keeps calling me because of His love and faithfulness whenever I am struggling or in despair. I know I can only get the help I need from Him.
When I pray with a contrite heart He lifts me up from the pit of destruction of my life. He gives me the strength to be delivered from my sinful ways. I am so weak; I cannot be a new creation without Jesus' help.
Recently He lifted me up from my bad habit of staying up late at night watching TV dramas and night shows. My sins had overtaken me. His truth and mercy protected me. Thanks be to God.
The Lord keeps all the promises He has made to us, and so I am reborn in the Spirit. Now I finally understand His delight is for me to do His will and serve Him.