Life just keeps us hopping, doesn’t it? Even though we can establish a daily routine and settle into a comfortable pace, surprises develop.
Certainly the wreck, now over four weeks ago, was a surprise and life suddenly forced a change to daily routines. But, the days keep moving forward and new routines are established.
In the midst of all the doctor’s visits, nature handed a little more excitement. We had a major windstorm in our community that caused major tree damage. Our own huge silver maple last some branches, but no significant damage.
Just as the cleanup continues around town, another surprise storm blew through yesterday, too. Fortunately the damage was minimal compared to a week ago. Still, all these storms do create a sense of unrest in our lives.
How does this fit in with “praying the psalms”?
I trust that I am not stretching an idea too much, but I really am discovering just how much the ancient psalms still fit into our 21stcentury lives.
Regardless of the calendar year, life happens. As I studied literature during my college years, I had one idea drilled into me: great literature is timeless.
The Bible is literature and it is timeless.
I know that some may be offended or take issue that I boil down the holy words, the holy scripture, the sacred writings into one term, literature, but . . . the words still make sense today, in our global, 21stcentury, technology filled, science-explained world.
So I return to the psalms. There are 150 psalms and we all know there are more than 150 days in our lives, so reading through them does take time.
But by reading them and studying them in context, by the audience, and through the additional filter of continuing history, the pleas and the praise sung by these words continue to meet the needs of all humans today.
Sitting and reviewing my notes, I can find so many excerpts from the psalms that I have read these past few weeks (and still have almost 50 to go) that make so much sense for my daily prayers. I find it difficult to open the Bible and determine which fits today.
Today, though, the morning is fresh, the rainclouds are gone, the coolness of an early fall, and the sounds of kids waiting for the school bus grace my senses. Today, no pleas just praise.
Psalms 100has long been a familiar litany for me, and today I abbreviate it:
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing. . . .
For the Lord is good;
His steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations. –Amen.
May these words lift your hearts and bring you joy. And in the words of Psalm 121, a benediction is found at its conclusion:
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
Thank you for all the prayers and the support you provide my husband and myself, but also for all the others for whom you pray.
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