Reflections
Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 (Read)
“Look
to God that you may
be
radiant with joy, and your
faces
may not blush for shame.”
Where
does our joy come from?
How
do we obtain a joyful spirit?
It
comes from repenting and
returning
to the Lord, as the
Prodigal
son returns to his father
in
this Sunday's Gospel
reading.
(Luke 15:11-32)
For
our part, we too will be
embraced
by the Father if we
humble
ourselves before Him,
and
confess our sins. Then He will
take
us back.
Like
the Prodigal's father, our Lord
watches
for us each day, encouraging
us
to lift our bodies out of our shame
and
return to Him, to be reconciled,
to
be restored, in a right relationship
with
the Father.
“My
soul will glory in the Lord,
that
the poor may hear and be glad.”
The
word poor is
said to apply to one
who
depends completely on God
for
his deliverance and his very life.
That’s
where we stand even today,
when
we are short of endurance
along
our own spiritual journey.
The
psalmist recounts for us how
he
gained deliverance, “I sought
the
Lord, who answered me,
delivered
me from all my fears.”
Despite
the anguish in the psalmist’s
voice,
there is also a powerful, joyful
spirit
– “Look to God that you may
be
radiant with joy, and your faces
may
not blush with shame.”
Our
Father watches for us each day,
encouraging
us. He reconciles us
and
restores us, and He provides
the
inner strength we need to
complete
our own spiritual journey.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist looks to God so that his face may not blush for shame.
Explain how you are overcoming your own shame this Lenten season,
by looking to the Lord, repenting, and becoming radiant with joy.
2. The Psalm's verses talk about those who are poor in spirit, totally
2. The Psalm's verses talk about those who are poor in spirit, totally
dependent on God. Speak about how you rely on the Lord for deliverance
and are saved by the Lord.
At all times - In every situation of life; in every event that occurs, we should praise the Lord publicly and privately; in safety and in danger; in joy and in sorrow. It would be a great principle of our life, that God was always to be regarded as an object of adoration and praise.
ReplyDeleteHis praise shall continually be in our mouth - We will be constantly uttering his praises; or, our thanks shall be unceasing. True piety always regards the Lord as worthy of praise - in the storm as well as in the sunshine; in the dark night of calamity, as well as in the bright days of prosperity.
I will bless the Lord - I will praise him; I will be thankful for his mercies, and will always express my sense of his goodness.
The Psalmist talks about, "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry." And, "The Lord is close to the broken-hearted." If I trust in him daily, He will deliver me from danger and save me from trouble. He will gladly accept me as a prodigal son whenever I return to Him with a broken heart.
ReplyDeleteI experience His forgiving Mercy when I repent from my evil-doings. I was so ashamed of my sins out of true humility. He restored me once again. And so my face became radiant with joy. I felt my sins washed clean.
And so I have a burning desire to go back to Confession again. He really provides the inner strength for my own spiritual growth. Thanks be to God. Let us exalt his name together !
I am full of shame this Lenten season. I have been unable to adhere to any of my intended sacrifices. The enemy has persuaded me at every turn that "today" can be an exception -- after all, birthdays, travels, and other celebrations are special. While these may not be huge evils in the scheme of things, any seed that begins to rot, instead of taking root, is the beginning of a bigger problem. Even as Lent is half over, I wish to have a clean start.
ReplyDeleteAs I view the Gospel reading, I chuckle at myself. I used to relate more to the older son, who lives with the father and tries his best to live a good life all his days. He feels cheated and jealous over the fanfare of his once-lost younger brother. Now, I relate much more to the prodigal returning home. I am completely dependent on God's compassion, over and over again. I love that he is waiting with arms outstretched for this wayward daughter. I may have to run back to him more than once. I pray that my persistence in being clothed and re-clothed with his radiant joy will be pleasing to him.