Psalm 5

 

There is a vividness to the language of the psalms.  There is a wonderful wild imagination in the words.  In Psalm 5:9, we hear how the words of people who hurt us cannot be trusted, their hearts are malice, and their very throats are an “open grave” ~ and you thought that only happened recently with the internet!  Psalm 5 asks God to be God.  When facing the problems of this world the only options are not, “It’s all up to God” or “It’s all up to us”.  Rather, there is a messy middle where we collaborate and cooperate with the Divine.  Where we constantly ask the question what is God up to??  We ask this with others in prayer, reading scripture, in our hearts and sacred imaginations, and through conversations with others.  Realizing we never know for certain, but we tentatively step forward in faith.  There is a great scene in the third Indiana Jones movie, where he is going to get the Holy Grail to heal his father, and he comes to a cliff edge ~ there is a large chasm that he cannot just jump across or use his whip to make a swing.  He must step out in faith, into what looks like thin air.  He does.  And (spoiler alert ~ although if you haven’t seen the movie by now) there is actually an invisible bridge there.  Life can feel that way.  We seek community because we need others to share what troubles us, so we don’t feel isolated and alone.  Slowly savor this psalm with me.

¹ Listen to my words, Lord,
    consider my lament.
² Hear my cry for help,
    my King and my God,
    for to you I pray.

³ In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
    in the morning I lay my requests before you
    and wait expectantly.
⁴ For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
    with you, evil people are not welcome.
⁵ The arrogant cannot stand
    in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong;
⁶     you destroy those who tell lies.
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
    you, Lord, detest.
⁷ But I, by your great love,
    can come into your house;
in reverence I bow down
    toward your holy temple.

⁸ Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies—
    make your way straight before me.
⁹ Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
    their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;
    with their tongues they tell lies.
¹⁰ Declare them guilty, O God!
    Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
    for they have rebelled against you.
¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
    let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

¹² Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
    you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

 

May God’s presence awaken a song within you, may you find ways to step out in faith ~ not as a superhero to save the day, but with others in community.  May we know the love of God is the source of the song of life.  Amen.