9/26/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
This week’s Psalm, Psalm 62, boldly confesses God as the rock of our salvation. Against all enemies, trusting in God will result in the rescue of his people. What kind of enemies are these? They would attack a person and try to remove him from his position. According to verse 4, these attackers use their words. What is the response of God’s people? Verse 5 says we respond in silence. Verse 8 urges trust. In verses 11-12 we see that God is the one who speaks and acts.
In today’s climate of instant messages and instant responses it is easy to think that we respond to attacks and criticisms by making a prompt (and often scathing) response. This is not the pattern encouraged in our Psalm. Rather, when people attack, we wait. We are often silent. We allow Jesus to be the judge in the end. He alone is out salvation.
Does this mean we never defend ourselves? No, not at all. It does, however, mean that the best time to defend ourselves is when we do not wish to do so. The rest of the time we carefully trust the Lord to defend us. We also realize that God’s defense and rescue may not come at the time or in the way we would expect it. It’s all right. God is our defender.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
This week’s Psalm, Psalm 62, boldly confesses God as the rock of our salvation. Against all enemies, trusting in God will result in the rescue of his people. What kind of enemies are these? They would attack a person and try to remove him from his position. According to verse 4, these attackers use their words. What is the response of God’s people? Verse 5 says we respond in silence. Verse 8 urges trust. In verses 11-12 we see that God is the one who speaks and acts.
In today’s climate of instant messages and instant responses it is easy to think that we respond to attacks and criticisms by making a prompt (and often scathing) response. This is not the pattern encouraged in our Psalm. Rather, when people attack, we wait. We are often silent. We allow Jesus to be the judge in the end. He alone is out salvation.
Does this mean we never defend ourselves? No, not at all. It does, however, mean that the best time to defend ourselves is when we do not wish to do so. The rest of the time we carefully trust the Lord to defend us. We also realize that God’s defense and rescue may not come at the time or in the way we would expect it. It’s all right. God is our defender.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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