"O Lord, you will show me the path to life.”
This psalm of David speaks to us
about a belief in an everlasting life
with God. “Lord, my allotted
portion and my cup, you have made
my destiny secure.”
The psalmist takes refuge in the Lord --
“With the Lord at my right hand,
I shall never be shaken.... My body,
too, abides in confidence.”
The distress that the prophet Daniel
speaks about in Sunday's first
reading (Daniel 12:1) is overcome by
the assurance in the Psalm that the
Lord will not abandon his people (us).
“For you will not abandon my soul
to the netherworld, nor let your
faithful servant see the pit.”
In addition, we can understand the last
verses of the Psalm as a prophecy of the
glorious day when we will see God’s Son
seated at the right hand of the Father.
“You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.”
For us too these are encouraging words,
with a promise that we can look forward
to being lifted up and spending the rest
of our days in the presence of the Lord.
The Lord promises, if we are his faithful
servants, that we will not have to see
the pit. He will not abandon us. As David
says, this is enough to make our hearts
glad and our souls rejoice.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist says that he will not be shaken or disturbed
so long as the Lord is with him at his right hand. Speak of how
the Lord enables you to be strong, so that your faith cannot be shaken.
2. The Psalm says that the Lord will show us the path to life.
Explain why this verse gives you confidence that you, as a
believer, can look forward to an everlasting life with God.
The Lord promises, if we are his faithful
servants, that we will not have to see
the pit. He will not abandon us. As David
says, this is enough to make our hearts
glad and our souls rejoice.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist says that he will not be shaken or disturbed
so long as the Lord is with him at his right hand. Speak of how
the Lord enables you to be strong, so that your faith cannot be shaken.
2. The Psalm says that the Lord will show us the path to life.
Explain why this verse gives you confidence that you, as a
believer, can look forward to an everlasting life with God.
Some of us seem more predisposed to fear than others. We're just more cautious, our brains think of ALL possibilities not just positive outcomes, and our hearts race a little when facing a new or unknown situation. God created some of us this way, so that we would learn to depend on him all the more.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, in 1 John 4:18, his word states that "perfect love casts out fear." To read it and know this truth in my head is one thing. To believe it in my heart, is another.
Fear is one of my biggest obstacles in persevering in my faith. Recently, I was reminded that the antidote to fear is GRATITUDE. What if I really managed to thank God in the midst of ALL of my circumstances?
Earlier this week, my college-aged son sent us a cryptic text explaining that he was being taken to the nearest emergency department -- something along the lines of "Hit in the neck. Cannot talk... On way to hospital." My reaction was to panic. The thoughts raced by, "Not another basketball injury! Why, God, why? Are you punishing us, Lord?" How easily my faith was shaken as I sank into despair.
It turned out that he was elbowed in the neck during routine basketball practice. His throat swelled with bruising and pain. He lost his voice. He could not swallow properly.
The only way to calm my nerves and activate my faith was to practice thankfulness. "My son is conscious enough to text. He is in good hands. God will heal him, yet again." Such thoughts became the prayers that took root and steadied me, with images of the Lord "...always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." (V. 8)
My child is recovering; his voice is 90 percent back to normal. He cannot swallow without pain and must depend on a soft/liquid diet for a while. I firmly believe God will restore him fully. He does not leave us in the Pit, but wraps us up in his care. He loves when our faith is built on gratitude for his ever-present goodness.