2Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield.
~Psalm 5
This is one of my favorite psalms. It speaks of my desire for a deep and lasting relationship with God, my desire to be heard, and my trust that God is with me all the time. It is a deeply uplifting remembrance of God’s grace, mercy, wisdom, and strength. It is also a reminder of all my tendencies to ignore God, to ignore the pain and sorrow of others, to lift up my own righteousness in arrogance (and often times in error), and even my desire to watch others fail in order to boost my own fragile self esteem.
It is a difficult psalm at the same time it is hope-filled.
Humble me, Lord.
Help me to embody
your Word
and your Ways,
not for my own sake,
but for the sake of the world.
Help me to live into your kingdom
here and now,
where ever I am.
Humble me, Lord.
Humble me.
Amen.
I love this reflection, and the psalm resonated so much with me today. What a beautiful reminder of the importance of putting our vulnerability and weaknesses out there along with our willingness and desire to change, be better, and work harder for God and His plan. Keep em coming!