6th. August. 2022. Daily Devotions.
Psalm 3:1-3
1 Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise against me!
2 Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him. 3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
Psalm 3 is a psalm of David, and one of its purposes is to teach us how to give voice to our tribulations. In the first two verses, he is — probably very realistically — dealing with all the enemies he had in his life. He was at war with almost everyone, at some point! But when we see how he handled all his problems, we see that we can be honest with God about our troubles.
Right away, in verse three, he show us that, although we may be right in the middle of our suffering, we can rely on God. His enemies, in fact, specifically say that there is “no help for him in God,” but David, God’s anointed and holy king, knew better! His psalm is testimony from 3,000 years ago; David is witnessing to us. And we know, from history, that he was right, for he succeeded where generations had failed, in uniting Israel.
This points up a subtle difference, between talking to yourself and listening to yourself. If you listen to yourself, you are going to hear all the self-defeating and sinful ideas that come from your earthly mind. But we are not passive victims of our psyche. We learn truths from Scripture that defeat the lies that we will hear if we only listen to our brain. Our own mind can be our enemy and rise against us, like David’s foes; but God is a shield for us and will lift our heads.
~ M Barge
Lord, let me use your words to talk to myself, when sinful and self-defeating thoughts arise to harm me. Amen.
Eternal Light, shine in our hearts. Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil. Eternal Power, be our support. Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance. Eternal Pity, have mercy on us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ Alcuin (c.735-804)
Lord of all, breathe through us your all-enfolding acceptance and grace that, being transformed by your holy purpose for us, we may accept with humility, respect with sincerity and love with tenacity all those with whom we are called into your fellowship. In the name of Christ, who forgives, heals, and unites us. Amen.
For Forgiveness
Gracious Lord, I am heartily sorry, and beg pardon for my sins, especially for my little respect, and for wandering in my thoughts when in your presence, and for my continual infidelities to your graces; for all which I beg pardon, by the merits of the Blood you shed for them. Amen.
~ Lady Lucy Herbert, 1711.
Dear Father of all, Help us to see the world through your eyes, without dividing lines, To see just land and water, mountains, trees, and skies. Help us to lay aside our class and skin, our background and race, To know our shared humanity, to see a brother or sister in every face. Help us to wear forgiveness, to lay down our pride and pain, To seek first to understand, Lord may peace and reconciliation reign. Help us to feel your compassion so we can freely forgive. May we weave new threads of grace and cause seeds of hope to live. Help us to play our own small part, with acts of kindness and of care. May we arise as your children and seek out what is justice and fair. Cause us to make new bonds of trust with neighbours near and far, And so to fashion a world where peace comes to Earth in this hour. Amen.
