Living in the Spirit

June 16, 2020

Scripture Reading: Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17

Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
   for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you;
   save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; be gracious to me, O Lord,
   for to you do I cry all day long.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
   for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
   abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
   listen to my cry of supplication.
In the day of my trouble I call on you,
   for you will answer me.
There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
   nor are there any works like yours.
 All the nations you have made shall come
   and bow down before you, O Lord,
   and shall glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things;
   you alone are God. –Psalm 86:1-10

At times when I read the scripture for the day, I think, “that says it all.” Yet, it helps me to delve into any scripture’s broader and deeper messages, and I meet that challenge best by writing about the scripture. Psalm 86 is one of those scriptures.

As I read the above section from that scripture, I was struck by how poor and needy most people are. Most people think of both poor and needy in economic terms. God certainly does care about those who lack the means to meet their basic needs, and Jesus gave all his followers the responsibility to make sure those basic needs are met. Poor and needy also describes a lack of love, self-worth, or a sense of belonging, and a lack of relationship with God.

Here the Psalmist writes asking God to gladden his soul and that by lifting up his soul to God, he is worshipping God.  In the story of Jesus’s 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, he encounters the devil, who offers him food. He answered, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’ (Matthew 4:4)

During this week, let us work to nourish our souls as we take in the wisdom of scriptures like Psalm 86 and as we attempt to be the Body of Christ in a broken and fragmented world in deep need of soul healing.

Prayer: Lord, heal our souls, bring us to wholeness for the facing of this hour. Amen.

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.