Introduction

The Congregation Council at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Beatrice, Neb., where I am serving as interim pastor, opens its monthly meetings with devotions. These are the thoughts for the November 2009 meeting. The Psalm for the upcoming Sunday is the reading for the annual Thankoffering service of the Women of the ELCA.

Reading

I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.
On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O LORD,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
for great is the glory of the LORD.
For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he perceives from far away.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me.
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands. (Psalm 138, NRSV)

Meditation

Sometimes the Psalms or other books of the Bible can seem a little hard to understand. They may come off as complicated, or abstract, or just so far removed from daily life. This psalm might be one of those hard-to-approach passages. It makes references to temple worship, to kings, and to combat. It uses a lot of fairly abstract words. It’s just not connected to our daily lives.

But before we set it aside, it helps to ask a few questions. One of them is this: “What words speak of the actions God takes in the lives of his people? That helps us to focus on God and his work in our lives. If we ask that question of this passage, then it begins to come alive. We hear some actions of grace, where God answers, regards, preserves, delivers, and fulfills. We also hear God’s action of judgment, of how “the haughty he perceives from far away.” And finally, we listen as the psalmist reminds God not to avoid a judgment, to forget about his children, “the work of [his] hands.” By paying attention to God and his work, we can see him touching our lives both personally and as a community of faith.

Discussion

• What experiences have you had of calling upon God and receiving an answer?
• Who are the lowly in our community? How does the LORD care for them (through us)?
• When has the LORD’s right hand saved you? This congregation?
• How have you seen the LORD fulfill his purpose for you? For this congregation?

Prayer

LORD our God, we give you thanks with our whole heart that you answer us when we call to you in distress. Help us to see and to respond to the needs of people on the fringes of our community. Come into our lives personally and communally, so that we may live out your purpose for us. Grant these requests through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.