Discipleship

January 27, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 62:5-12
For God alone my soul waits in silence,
   for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
   my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
   my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
   pour out your heart before him;
   God is a refuge for us.

Those of low estate are but a breath,
   those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
   they are together lighter than a breath.
Put no confidence in extortion,
   and set no vain hopes on robbery;
   if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

Once God has spoken;
   twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
   and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
   according to their work.

I confess at times, and it is hard for me to wait in silence. I do yoga, and other stretches every morning to help my limberness or lack thereof. Most of the exercises I do requires counting. Sometimes my mind goes off in several directions, and I realize I lost my count or did not know how many repetitions I had completed. The nice thing about these routines is that by the time I have completed the entire set, my being has stilled, and I am ready for the day.

The above poem is about recognizing God as God and understanding God’s place as the priority of our lives, and everything else lines up beneath that or falls out of the spectrum. Not recognizing God’s omnipotence—all-powerfulness places us in peril in a world tugging at our souls to follow its ways, not God’s. Choosing the road less traveled* every day, all the time, is a challenge worth accepting.

I wonder if Jesus thought of this scripture where it says Those of low estate are but a breath, when he said the poor will always be with you and you can help them any time you want (Mark 14:7), That always bothered me but then I read the next line of this poem, those of high estate are a delusion, and realize we all have such a short time to serve God in our fulness, what we set as our priorities really matter. Yes, helping the poor must be a priority, as is the need to introduce those caught in the delusion of greed that there is a road less traveled, and it is the better way; it is God’s way.

Prayer: Almighty God, clear our heads so that we can be still and know that you are God. (Psalm 46:10). Amen.

*See The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

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.