psalm 28

Psalm 28 (NRSV)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who are workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors,
while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their work,
and according to the evil of their deeds;
repay them according to the work of their hands;
render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord,
or the work of his hands,
he will break them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts;
so I am helped, and my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage;
be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
[1]

Lord,

Let me speak personally. It’s been a wonderful holiday season and it’s been aggravating beyond description and I have to confess that my heart has been a little shaky. I love the family Christmas gathering. Nearly everybody is there, brother and sister, nieces and nephews, in-laws and potential in-laws, children and grandchildren all together in one place. Only one family had to miss and while grieving their absence I am grateful for all who could gather. It was wonderful and that is the good part.

But there was the accident. I drove the car straight into the ditch and we had to be pulled out. We had to get a brake job. There was a nail in the tire. Our old puppy Christie nearly died and still may. Peggy took on a virus (we think) that completely disabled her for 36 hours. (I would tell you more but you already know and those sharing this prayer may not be able to pray and imagine her plight at the same time.) On the way home, the brakes started to smell and then we saw the smoke and then the garage discovered that a caliper on one of the brakes had frozen and nearly turned one brake pad to charcoal. Then we drove in rain that made us think that Noah’s ark was coming. O, and on the way home, Peggy accused me of being grumpy!
And I began to pray, “What’s wrong here?”

In the midst of all of this stuff, I want to remember that you are the strength of my heart. Help me to distinguish between things that are inconvenient or aggravating and things that are genuine problems. I confess that there were times when the aggravations were a little hard to handle.

While the dog is sick and the vet sent a substantial bill, some among us cannot afford to take medical care of their children. While our old car cost us some significant money (by our standards) others have no car at all. While we had to come back to work, some cry out for a chance to work. Lord, keep our perspective. Let perspective be a part of the confidence that we have in you.


So, I’m giving it to you Lord, confessing both my frustration and my gratitude which are all mixed up in the weeks surrounding Christmas.

Emmanuel, God is with us.

PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God for the grace that you need for this new year.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.

[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989