Lent 1
Worship
Aids To The Psalms
Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
the Most High your dwelling place,
no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.
For he will command all his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent, you will trample under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.
Alternate Image
The Singer is in the secret place. Once, fearfully exploring high on a mountain, the Singer found an entrance to a cave with a welcome mat at its entrance. She entered and found the cave to be a place of rocksteady security. She first thought of the cave as her secret place, a place where she could escape from the world and feel safe. Then she thought of the welcome mat. Who placed it there? Whose secret place was it? Suddenly it occurred to her this was God's secret place. Revelation dawned, all places are God's places. As she looked out the entrance of the cave and surveyed the countryside she realized that she could be safe anywhere because God was everywhere. Her courage bolstered by this new faith insight, the Singer ventured forth boldly to do God's bidding.
Reflection
We are a fearful people. Threats new and old assail us daily. From the saber-toothed tiger in a primevil forest to stockpiled atomic bombs, we feel danger and peril. Each and every one of us is assailed by fears of all types. Because of our fears we are dangerous. Our fears cause us to spend more on weaponry than social security or social welfare. The more we seek to defend ourselves against our fears the more fearful we become in senseless arms races. The only real security and ease we can find is found in faith in God. Only God is all-powerful. Only God can grant us true peace. God has promised over and over again to protect us. In faith, we know God is our only security. God offers security that lasts all this life long and the next. That security, that faith can and does make us bold.
the Most High your dwelling place,
no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.
For he will command all his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent, you will trample under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.
Alternate Image
The Singer is in the secret place. Once, fearfully exploring high on a mountain, the Singer found an entrance to a cave with a welcome mat at its entrance. She entered and found the cave to be a place of rocksteady security. She first thought of the cave as her secret place, a place where she could escape from the world and feel safe. Then she thought of the welcome mat. Who placed it there? Whose secret place was it? Suddenly it occurred to her this was God's secret place. Revelation dawned, all places are God's places. As she looked out the entrance of the cave and surveyed the countryside she realized that she could be safe anywhere because God was everywhere. Her courage bolstered by this new faith insight, the Singer ventured forth boldly to do God's bidding.
Reflection
We are a fearful people. Threats new and old assail us daily. From the saber-toothed tiger in a primevil forest to stockpiled atomic bombs, we feel danger and peril. Each and every one of us is assailed by fears of all types. Because of our fears we are dangerous. Our fears cause us to spend more on weaponry than social security or social welfare. The more we seek to defend ourselves against our fears the more fearful we become in senseless arms races. The only real security and ease we can find is found in faith in God. Only God is all-powerful. Only God can grant us true peace. God has promised over and over again to protect us. In faith, we know God is our only security. God offers security that lasts all this life long and the next. That security, that faith can and does make us bold.
