Psalm 5

Psalm 5 (NRSV)

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord ;
give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 O Lord , in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.

Dear Lord,

Wickedness, evil, the boastful, evildoers, liars, the bloodthirsty and deceitful, all are excluded from your presence. “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”, so Jesus taught.

I confess that I do not see myself as living in the community of the wicked. I am a Christian. And yet I know that in those perfect storms that threaten the things that I hold dear, I may be capable of anything and everything, perhaps even evil things. Even when storms seem to be approaching, and it's really not here,I can become capable of anything. And sometimes, when the media shouts that a storm is coming or when neighbors gossip about the storm that could be, or when I just remember the storms of the past, I am tempted to take up the weapons of evil. Fear, justified or not, rational or not, creates the opportunity for evil. In the state of fear, I am most likely to become the very thing that I most abhor.

So today, I pray for the courage that comes from your Spirit. I pray for the courage to be faithful in both belief and behavior. I pray for the courage to face fear without the instruments of evil.

Ask God for the courage you need to meet the storms of your life.
Pray for those who need God’s grace in special ways.
Name 5 things for which your are grateful and say “thank you” to God.

In the name of Christ,
Amen


7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house,
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O Lord , in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths;
their hearts are destruction;
their throats are open graves;
they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make 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.
11 But 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.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord ;
you cover them with favor as with a shield.
[1]

[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.