Reflections
“Light shines through the darkness
for the upright.”The Psalm inspires us to have
a right relationship with the Lord by becoming 'upright.'
Having done so, having delighted in God's commands, we begin to imitate Him and treat our brothers and sisters
as He would do.
“Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just.”
These are heavenly qualities
(being gracious, and merciful and just),
and having God's light in our hearts
inspires us to do good works,
to “conduct our affairs with justice,”
“give to the poor lavishly.”
And as we measure out a good
and generous measure, our measure
is returned to us many times over.
As the Psalm says, we will be lifted up
from within; our "horn shall be exalted
in glory."
Amen
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm's verses are in keeping with this Sunday's Gospel
and the reading from Isaiah. All three affirm that we people of
faith are the 'light of the world' and are motivated to do good deeds.
Give an example of how your light shines through in the darkness.
2. Our psalmist speaks of a man whose 'heart is firm, trusting in
the Lord,' whose 'heart is steadfast.' In our world today, what makes
you firm of heart and trusting in the Lord?
What a beautiful thing to have a heart that truly desires what the Lord does... and is motivated to do good deeds. In sunny seasons of life, it is natural for light to spill over from the abundance of love in my heart.
ReplyDeleteBut lately, I have been walking in a long season of darkness and trial. Every day, I cling to the Lord's promises, in order to make it through. Sometimes, I search for a word to encourage me to endure or strengthen me, for just the next hour... or the next minute.
The root cause of this testing is largely related to my adult daughter and her mental, physical, and spiritual health. She needs prayer and guidance every moment of the day. I am blessed that she can turn to me with her dark thoughts and challenges. But I need help, in advising her and praying for her.
The Lord speaks to me through my Adoration hour, daily devotionals, journals, sisters in Christ, and even the occasional uplifting social media post. At the heart of each message is wisdom in his Word. He conveys to me what I need to remember or learn, in order to remain steadfast in my trust.
Verse 7 says, "He is not afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord." Who receives this blessing? Those who believe the Lord is "gracious, merciful, and righteous" (v.4) and those who "deal generously and lend, who conduct his affairs with justice." (V.5)
As I write this, I am led to conclude that it's not just my searching for signs of God's love to sustain me, but it's also my work, my outreach that is needed to complete the formula of trusting in the Lord. I need to consciously implement more ways to practice spiritual and corporal works of mercy, That is my challenge this season, as I look toward Lent. I am not yet sure how, but I feel that I must prioritize some of the below actions.
Corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned, and burying the dead.
Spiritual works of mercy: admonishing the sinner, instructing the ignorant, bearing wrongs patiently, counseling the doubtful, forgiving injuries, comforting the sorrowful, and praying for the living and the dead.
God is calling me to ACTION, in order to build a heart that is steadfast and strong.