Keeper and shade

Psalms 121

Assurance of God’s Protection

A Song of Ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the hills—

from where will my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

He who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time on and forevermore.

Always present

Tuned in

Anticipating need

Providing shelter

There

Whether we acknowledge or not

There

When we know it

And when we don't

When we believe

And when we doubt.

Keeper and shade 

Faithful God.

Prayer

God, ever present, thank you for you constant care and concern. May we know you guarding our everyday and glorify your name.

Promises

Psalms 102:15-17

The nations will fear the name of the Lord,

and all the kings of the earth your glory.

For the Lord will build up Zion;

he will appear in his glory.

He will regard the prayer of the destitute,

and will not despise their prayer.

How long, O Lord, before we see you

fulfil your promise

before we see the destitute

raised up from their plight

How long, O Lord, before we see

those who struggle

finding a way out of trouble

How long, O Lord

before we awaken

to the dawning

that the answer to prayer

is in our hands

Prayer

Lord help us not just to pray for those who suffer but to work for justice and to be the means of answered prayer.

Being of God

Hebrews 1:1-3

God Has Spoken by His Son

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. 

Reflecting God's glory

Part of God's very being

Higher than the Angels

Bringing the word of God,

the life giving, creative word.

Co-creator

Sustainer

Son of God

Prayer

God open our hearts to listen as you speak to us in your Son, Jesus Christ for the life of the world.

To the hills...

Psalms 121

Assurance of God’s Protection

A Song of Ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the hills—

from where will my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

He who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time on and forevermore.

Disappointment

Isaiah 5:1-4

The Song of the Unfruitful Vineyard

Let me sing for my beloved

my love-song concerning his vineyard:

My beloved had a vineyard

on a very fertile hill.

He dug it and cleared it of stones,

and planted it with choice vines;

he built a watchtower in the midst of it,

and hewed out a wine vat in it;

he expected it to yield grapes,

but it yielded wild grapes.

And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem

and people of Judah,

judge between me

and my vineyard.

What more was there to do for my vineyard

that I have not done in it?

When I expected it to yield grapes,

why did it yield wild grapes?

A picture of disappointment

Of energy expended

 with no return

Of investment

that yielded no fruit

Of hard work and effort

that brought no gain.

A picture that evokes empathy

for the one who has worked so hard

and tried every which way

to bring about fruitfulness 

An empathy that brings

not resolution

but companionship

in the sorrow

of hopes dashed

and promise

snuffed out

in loss.

No light

simply accompaniment

through sorrow.

Prayer

O God, may we who are fixers lay down our tools and acknowledge when death must come to make way for resurrection.

God the word

Mark 12:24

Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?

When we twist the words 

to suit our own ends

When we manipulate God

to create the kind of deity

who fits our purpose

We deny fullness of life

for ourselves

and for others.

We reduce the possibility

of love and abundance

Of openness and acceptance

Of room for all.

Words spoken in love 

used to divide

Power given to liberate

used to oppress.

And God weeps at the diminishing

of those whom God calls beloved.

Prayer

God show us the real power of your word in redeeming the world and convince us of the part you have for us to play in living out your word of life.

Conflict

Mark 12:17

Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.

How often do we attempt

to put words into God's mouth?

And how often do we interpret

Jesus' words to suit our purposes?

The truth is

that Jesus' way

of peace and justice

is not a road we take lightly

and not a path

we cab manipulate

to our own taste.

Following Christ

is wholehearted,

not a mish mash

of the bits we like best.

And sometimes that entails

showing respect

for those in authority

whether we are in agreement

or not.

Such is the way of the kingdom.

Prayer

God help us not to pick and choose but to be all in with our obedience to you, living peaceably with those who have authority over us.