Written by Jonathan Melton
Psalm 55:1-3 (NRSV) Hear my prayer, O God; do not hide yourself from my petition. Listen to me and answer me; I have no peace, because of my cares. I am shaken by the noise of the enemy and by the pressure of the wicked.
By whose noise am I shaken? Who is shaken by my noise? As the psalmist names these questions, this mirror-psalm confronts us with the conflicts we wish we could hide. It is hard to know that there are people who don’t like us, who won’t like us, who consider us their enemies, never mind whether we consider these same people as our enemies. Noise shakes us, and pressure shapes us. These are true statements about the world and about the kingdom of God.
How can we know our enemies? How can we come to terms with being seen as an enemy by others? We know that we will be shaken and shaped by the challenges and chances of this life, but we also know that God is not hidden from us, is not far from us in those tender and tight spots. God hears our prayers, gives us peace, and bids us to be peace in the world. The psalms are grace for all of us.
Join more than a half million readers worldwide who use Forward Day by Day as a resource for daily prayer and Bible study.
No comments:
Post a Comment