Reflections
Psalm 33: 4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 (Read)
“The
eyes of the Lord are upon those who
fear
Him, to deliver them from death.”
The
Psalm is praise for God’s providence,
the
blessings He gives us. “The Lord fills
the
earth with goodness. His works are
trustworthy.”
We
may not have the faith of Abraham
(Genesis 12:1-4), but we can be sure
the
Lord’s eyes are upon us – “The
Lord’s eyes
are upon those who hope
for His gracious
help.” As our
psalmist
says, “O
Lord, we have put our hope
in you.”
In
Sunday's 2nd
reading, St Paul says
that God
has saved us and called us to
a holy life. (2 Timothy 1:9)
The
Psalmist confirms this – “We are
delivered
from death, kept alive in times
of
famine.” We may not be starving for
physical
food, but we could face spiritual
death
from sin if we were not saved by
our Lord
Jesus.
“The
eyes of the Lord are upon those
who fear
Him, to deliver them from death.”
Remember,
the wages of sin is death, and
we
are all afflicted. Fortunately for us,
Christ
destroyed death and brought life,
as
St Paul says (2 Timothy 1:10),
so it is natural that we
openly ask
for His
help and His protection. He is our
shield
in the spiritual battle that we all
have to fight.
“Our
soul waits for the Lord,
who
is our help
and our shield.”
If
we trust in the Lord, His eyes will be upon
us so
long as we count ourselves among
those who fear
Him, and we can expect
to receive His grace.
Through
His goodness we can expect a
transfiguration
of our own, and that same light
which
shone from Jesus' face that day on
Mt Tabor can be a source of light for us
and
those around us. “We have put our hope
in
you, O Lord.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. As our psalmist says, the Lord's eyes are upon us, and that is a good thing
because of His saving grace. Speak of how you depend on God's providence
to preserve you as you go about your daily life amidst the world's attractions.
2. The Psalm assures us that God's love and mercy will be granted to us, as we
2. The Psalm assures us that God's love and mercy will be granted to us, as we
place our trust in Him. Give an example of how you have trusted in the Lord and
how you have benefited from His kindness.
This psalm uses aspects of God’s character to reassure believers of their purpose and call them to worship. We are also assured that God’s word is upright.
ReplyDeleteThe psalmist says that all his work is done in faithfulness, with the best motives. The Lord knows how we function best, and we can trust Him in that because He is the one who created us. His actions are not unjust; rather, He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. We should praise Him because in everything He is good, He is faithful, He is steadfast, He is unchanging, He is unswerving, He is constant.
Lord, open our eyes to see the ways you work in our lives. Reveal to us, through Scripture, how you have always been faithful to your promises. Let us take heart in the messiness of our lives and know that you are at work. You know how we work best, and you have a good plan for us. Let us recognize that worshiping you is the only fuel that fills us up. Draw us nearer to you. Amen