Eastertide
May 29, 2019
Scripture Reading: Psalm 97
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him,
and consumes his adversaries on every side.
7 All worshippers of images are put to shame,
those who make their boast in worthless idols;
all gods bow down before him.
10 The Lord loves those who hate evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful;
he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light dawns for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!
I encourage you to read Psalm 97 in its totality. I have selected three grouping from it to highlight here.
Righteousness and justice are words most often related to God. The image of the righteous God being surrounded by thick darkness resonates with me as my locale is inundated with bad, dangerous weather. Flooding is occurring from ever stream and river. Tornado clusters crop up in bands that stretch for miles. All exacerbated by climate change. God’s world is ruled by righteousness and justice and with God present in our lives we are empowered to enable righteousness and justice across our lands for future generations.
When our lives are led by our love for God, we can set right priorities and let go of those things of the world that promise false hope and false love. Idols do not feel or think; they are driven by the evil that benefits from their enticement of us that enriches them at our expense.
Finally, we never ever are alone when we work for righteousness and justice. God is faithful.
Day by day, day by day,
O, dear Lord, three things I pray:
to see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly,
follow thee more nearly, day by day*.
Prayer: God of Justice, grant us the strength to withstand the storms of evil, the faith to trust you first in all we do, and the will always to seek your presence. Amen.
*Day by Day attributed to Richard of Chichester see at https://hymnary.org/text/day_by_day_dear_lord
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.