Lent

April 13, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 70

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
   O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and confusion
   who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
   who desire to hurt me.
Let those who say, ‘Aha, Aha!’
   turn back because of their shame.

Let all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
   say evermore, ‘God is great!’
But I am poor and needy;
   hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
   O Lord, do not delay! –Psalm 70

Justice advocates climb steep hills to make little progress.  Often when a solution is reached, the principalities and powers punish those who worked for justice by making matters even worse.  Vladimir Putin is a very public example of the marriage of greed and lust for power. That kind of narcissism lives and harms in every attempt to turn justice around.

The above scripture was a timely message for me as we deal with the challenges of our time. I pray for the people of Ukraine. The frustration I deal with and the problems I try to address are not comparable to what is happening to them. In either case, the lord is our help and deliverer and sets the example for us to be helpers and deliverers, too.

Prayer: O Lord, let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream*. Amen.

*Amos 5:24

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.