Reflections
“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, just 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.
There are two things that struck me about the Psalm:
ReplyDeleteFirst, David invites us to taste the Lord. I love that image because it goes so much deeper than simply understanding with the mind, but it is ingesting with all the senses. Jesus invited us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. We are to make God a part of our inner being, to be fused with our DNA…and it is good.
Second, good does not equal easy. In fact, David doesn’t say that God exempts the righteous from suffering. He says that God provides rescue from suffering for the righteous, but those who do evil will perish. God is our refuge.
The only difference between the “righteous” and the “evil doer” is that one has a place in which to find refuge in the midst of difficult times. The other is simply standing in the storm with no end or comfort in sight. One has hope. The other doesn’t.
Sometimes the goodness of the Lord tastes the sweetest when the storms of life are the most bitter.
Our God is a God of infinite mercy, love, wisdom, humor... and opposites. His kingdom glorifies what our world despises -- weakness, dependence, lowliness, and humility. It is when we are in our deepest poverty of spirit, that His strength is most evident. From the cavernous pit, come the sweetest victories.
ReplyDeleteSince I fall so often in my faith walk, I like to know of surefire methods of getting back up on my feet. I have come to learn that WORSHIP is key. My Bible Dictionary defines "worship" as: 1. Adoration given to the divine; actions, rites, and ceremonies associated with such adoration. 2. Condition of being rightly esteemed.
The Psalms themselves are FULL of worship passages -- such as Psalm 34:2, "My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad." Or other Psalms, that specifically tell us to "sing." Many examples, exist, such as Psalm 95:1, "Sing joyfully to the Lord."' Alongside singing, is thanksgiving. As we recall all the times the Lord has saved us in the past, our hearts fill with a confidence in His faithfulness. We do not rely on ourselves, but on our almighty God. The posture of our worship can also come into play -- do we feel the same reverence while sitting versus standing, kneeling, or even prostrate on the ground before the Lord? Do we lift our hands or even dance? Regardless of our answer, as long as our hearts are humble before God, He will help us back into His graces. He loves to invite us to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, especially for this purpose, and especially during this Lenten season.
A few days ago, the Lord delivered me from a terrible place. I was biting my tongue and exercising as much patience as I possibly could, while talking to my daughter. I was trying to use reason and calm in my argument, and I suddenly snapped. I released an immense rage into the situation, because all other rational efforts had failed to take root in my child's mind. I was not myself - I let the enemy momentarily scream out horrible things that I did not mean. All the pent-up anger in me flooded out and I found myself looking into my child's eyes, now filled with confusion and fear. After a few moments of Holy Spirit breaths, we both cooled down enough to talk, pray, hug, and cuddle again. I sang a lullaby I made up years ago when she was an infant... and it soothed us both. "Sweet Jesus, Lord Jesus, come into my heart... Sweet Jesus, Lord Jesus, come in to stay..."
The Lord rescued my child and me from a spiritual abyss and set us on firm ground again. The steeper our fall, the more spectacular his victory. His mercy is deeper than our greatest sin. My daughter and I are now more in tune with each other than ever. And both of us feel God's ever-present hand on our lives.