Reading: Psalm 99 (ESV)
99 The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! 4 The King in his might loves justice.[a] You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the Lord, and he answered them. 7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. 8 O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 9 Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy! Reflection One of the most challenging practices in my spiritual walk with God has been praying for those who have hurt me. Almost six years ago, I was hurt in a way that called into question things I’d been taught about God, religion, the role of the church, love and sin and forgiveness. Those last three continue to give me pause. We are sinful, yet God forgives and loves us. He asks us to do the same for each other. Forgive us our trespasses, Lord, as we forgive one another. But what does that mean? The psalmist reminds us here that the Lord loves justice. He loves, absolutely and as only the Almighty can. As a loving God, He also disciplines: avenging wrongdoing, rewarding righteousness, hearing our prayers, forgiving the debt of our accumulated sins, and restoring our relationship with Him. Just months before my crisis revealed itself, our church’s “movie night” shared the film War Room (TriStar Pictures, 2015). In it, the protagonist was urged to pray on scriptures like this psalm, especially for others. Its message came back to me as I grappled in confusion, pain and guilt about how far and how much I was supposed to endure in the name of forgiveness. Adopting this practice has released me from the burden of figuring it out. It’s not always easy, and sometimes the words feel forced and bitter in my mouth. When they do, however, scripture such as this psalm guide my heart back on track. – Heather Wolf Prayer In every struggle, Lord, you have accompanied me. Jesus, you are my friend. Holy Spirit: intercessor and mediator to my soul. God: my father, comforter and protector. May all your children know your blessings and accept your compassionate love. Amen.
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