Living in the Spirit
September 22, 2023
Scripture Reading: Psalm 103:(1-7), 8-13
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. –Psalm 103, 1-5
What is a pit? A pit is an opening, most often used to describe a hole in the ground. A pit is often a place one cannot escape without help if it is deep enough. It also refers to destruction. The scripture above assures us that the Lord redeems us when we fall into a pit, whether from our behavior or the acts of others. The USA recently negotiated the release of five men from Iran who were being held in prison, a different kind of pit. They were redeemed by releasing some of Iran’s money that had been held as a sanction against actions against others. The funds were only made available for food and other humanitarian needs. I feel confident those five men felt they had been rescued from destruction.
Do we create pits for our destruction? Addiction of any kind could probably be described in that way. What about greed and lust for power that always results in someone else being hurt? I do not think most would view these actions as self-destructive, but they are.
I grew up listening to country and western music. One thing about those songs is they deal with truth. The one that came to my mind as I read the above scripture was Porter Wagner’s song A Satisfied Mind. Here is the first verse:
How many times have you heard someone say
“If I had his money, I could do things my way?”
But little they know that it’s so hard to find
One rich man in ten with a satisfied mind*
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for your guidance in living and your forgiveness when we stray. Amen.
*See at https://www.google.com/search?q=there+is+not+a+rich+man+in+ten+with+a+satisfied+mind+song+lyrics&sca_esv=567611878&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS987US987&biw=1280&bih=563&sxsrf=AM9HkKnSSqGGEFxrGSG2s0T2RrRheFlNxw%3A1695398192098&ei=MLkNZYW5BfGiqtsPwseZgA4&ved=0ahUKEwiFkfi3yr6BAxVxkWoFHcJjBuAQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=there+is+not+a+rich+man+in+ten+with+a+satisfied+mind+song+lyrics&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiQHRoZXJlIGlzIG5vdCBhIHJpY2ggbWFuIGluIHRlbiB3aXRoIGEgc2F0aXNmaWVkIG1pbmQgc29uZyBseXJpY3NIAFAAWABwAHgBkAEAmAEAoAEAqgEAuAEDyAEA-AEB4gMEGAAgQQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp
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.