Reflections
Psalm 18: 2-3, 3-4, 47, 51 (Read)
“The Lord Lives!”The Psalm is saying that the Lord
is present to us, here and now,
just as He was when He delivered
David from his persecutors.
The really key revelation for us is
that the Lord lives. He lives among
us; He is present in the Word; Jesus
is in fact the Living Word; He is
present on the inside of us through
the Holy Spirit. He is alive in the
Eucharist; He humbled himself to
share in our humanity, so that we
might have a share in His divinity!
So Jesus is alive and well, standing
by us as our “rock of refuge, our
shield, our saving horn.” We join
with David in praising God and loving
Him with all our heart and all our mind,
as Jesus reminds us to do in this Sunday's
Gospel. (Mark 12: 28-34)
How do we apply the Psalm's verses to
our lives? We turn to our Lord to equip
us for the battles that we fight against the
evil one. Jesus becomes our fortress!
In this Psalm we hear David, crying out
to the Lord, as one cries out to his savior.
“My God, my rock of refuge, my shield,
my saving horn, my stronghold.” David
has just emerged after being saved
by God from his enemies and the clutches
of King Saul. David has been rescued by
that same God of compassion and mercy
that spoke to Moses in Sunday's first reading.
(Deuteronomy 6: 2-6)
David says, “You have shown kindness to
your anointed.” God promises to hear us
when we cry out to Him as our psalmist
does.
David praises his savior in language that
is familiar to us as his spiritual descendents:
“The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock!
Exalted be God my savior!”
For David has been delivered from the
forces of evil that surrounded him.
And that same deliverance is available to
us, so long as we surrender ourselves
to God and love God with all of our heart
and soul and strength.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist exclaims, 'The Lord lives!' Speak of how
the Lord is present to you and why you believe He is your rock,
your fortress, here and now.
2. The Psalm makes it clear that David loves the Lord and
that the Lord is the source of his strength. Describe your love
for the Lord and how you have been led to serve Him and
praise Him.
"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Such powerful words of victory, strength, and deliverance!
ReplyDeleteIn recent days, I have felt depleted of my joy and energy. The enemy has come against me, especially through the battles of my children. It is said that a parent is only as happy as their least happy child -- which makes much sense to me right now. I believe strongly in waking up each morning to new joy and strength -- but sometimes I am tired -- weary from the mental battles and even weary from praying. Am I a hypocrite for writing these words? Is my faith so small, despite the Lord's goodness to me?
Some days, the best I can do is run to the Lord and just hide. When I am in this state, every single description in the passage above bears such meaning. He is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer... in whom I take refuge. I can just rest in Him and let him protect me -- in every sense. And then, like a soldier who has had time to recuperate, I can take up my armor and go out to battle, offering inspiration to those in my life who need it. And in so doing, gain a little more ground for His kingdom.
Yes, the Lord lives! And He continues to protect his flock. His soldiers. One image feels gentle while the other feels mighty. Both are true and I am so grateful.