Path With God
Louie Conn
Psalm 37: 23-28
from Biblegateway.com
The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.
Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
Path With God
Whenever I pray this section of Psalm 37, I feel an instant reassurance in God’s path for me. This psalm proclaims that all people who act in ways to delight God, will stay firm in God’s path for them. It states that at times we will stumble, we will not fall. This can be taken into deeper meaning when we come to understand that this means that God will guide and assist us in our lives so we will not fall to evil. Those who act righteously and stray from evil will never be forsaken, they will be guided to peace in God’s Kingdom. Oftentimes life can be a struggle and I often stumble, but through this psalm I have come to realize that although I stumble, God will not let me fall. If I act righteously and act in ways to delight the Lord, my path will stay straight and held firm with God’s assistance.
A reassurance in our lives and paths in God is undeniably in need in the world we live in today. In a world filled with sickness, injustice, and hatred, it feels very nice to know that God continues to guide and nurture our paths through life. Psalm 37 specifically stood out to me because of the loving image I create in my head as I read it. I have come to realize that this psalm is trying to exemplify the righteous hand of God assisting and holding true the paths of everyone through the grand terrain of life. I can see the hand of God keeping me upright through the struggles I endure daily and continue to stay at peace knowing that if I act righteously, God will nurture me into having a fruitful path of life.
ReImagining:
We ask of you Lord,
all loving and forgiving, to protect and cherish me for as long as I live.
As I will lend and turn from evil, guide me on my path.
If I stumble and ponder evil, help me find goodness.
When I act righteously, keep me humble yet aware of your hand in my life.
I will delight the lives of others in your name O Lord, hold my path in the direction of your kingdom.
If I stumble into the darkness that surrounds evil, show me the light and hold me true to the path until I find the light.
O Lord, I trust my path in you, as true as I stay to you is as righteous as my path will be.
I will stay true to you Lord, lending, guiding, acting righteously and acting faithfully. I have everlasting faith in my path held by your hand.
Amen.
The Lord’s Protection
Nick Cipriani
Psalm 91: 9-16 from Biblegateway.com
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
With a long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Reflection:
When reading this psalm, a spark of understanding and relief hits me. I imagine God welcoming me into his peaceful palace. All the worries and problems of my life are left behind. I am now under God’s protection, help, and love.
The image above is relatable to Psalm 91. Even if we have a lot of negative things in our life, God’s love can overcome and break through. This is shown when the light in the picture breaks through the clouds and reaches the tree. Although the tree is lonely on the island, it only needs God’s light. His protection will follow us even when we feel abandoned or neglected.
Psalm 91 also mentions how God will answer those who love him. He will show his followers the path to salvation and everlasting life. He will take care of us during our darkest moments and congratulate us during our biggest achievements. With God on our side, we can approach any situation with confidence.
When thinking about my own life, this psalm reminded me of walking towards the sun on a chilly day. Even if there is a cold breeze, the sunlight warms you up. That instant feeling of warmth can only be found through God. His love and protection can overcome any difficulties in our lives. Nothing is greater than his love.
Re-Imagining:
If you give your whole body and soul to the Lord, he will never turn away.
He will give you strength and power,
He will give you grace and clarity,
He will give you faith and hope,
He will give you peace and forgiveness.
He will give you salvation and love,
The Lord’s love and protection is the only thing a Christian needs.
Praise to the Almighty God
Quinn Clifford
Psalm 150 from Biblegateway.com
Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
Praise him with the harp and lyre,
Praise him with timbrel and dancing,
Praise him with the strings and pipe,
Praise him with the clash of cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the lord.
Praise the Lord.
Reflection :
When I pray this Psalm, I picture a big parade with all instruments playing together, marching right through the golden gates of heaven. However, this is not the meaning that I take in from this Psalm whatsoever. I believe that Psalm 150 has more to do with what human beings can do on the physical Earth to praise God. To my understanding, the spiritual/heavenly and musical terms used in the Psalm are metaphorical ideas to relate to how Christians should praise our almighty God. The Psalm energizes me to unite with others to express our love and faith to God who put us in this world.
“Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.” Churches were created for worship, and as Catholics, we need to take advantage of them. Churches provide us with a sanctuary of our own where we can spend time and grow closer to God through his spiritual presence through the Eucharist. Churches are also where we can come together with our faith communities to pray and praise the lord. To praise God in his mighty heavens, we need to discover pieces of heaven on Earth and rejoice in them. Whether it is trees, fresh air, flowers, water, light, storms, or people, we shall recognize the beauty in which God created these and praise him for it.
The Psalm says to praise the Lord through many forms of music and through many different instruments. Music and instruments play together smoothly and in harmony. Just as the instruments are played simultaneously and together, we need to praise God in harmony with each other. Group praise has a lot more spiritual energy and power that an individual prayer of praise. Also, these instruments could be metaphors for good deeds. This idea goes with the saying, “Don’t tell me, show me.” This meaning of the Psalm encourages us to show praise to the Lord through our actions along with our words. Fulfilling God’s plan, living out our vocation, loving others, and serving others can all be very powerful forms of praise that we may not even recognize as such.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” The penultimate line of the Psalm expresses that everything that breathes in this world should praise the one who gave it breath. As living beings on this wonderful Earth, it is only just that we praise the mighty God who gave us air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, and people to love for His greatness. The Psalm ends just how it started with three simple yet weighty words: “Praise the Lord.” Praising the Lord is not a complex task, but it is very special and very much needed. We cannot take for granted all of the wonderful things and wonderful people that the Lord created for us to live in harmony with. We need to come together as people, recognize the beauty in the world, fulfill God’s plan, love and serve others, and in doing so, Praise the Lord!
Re-imaging:
The Lord, our God, is almighty and all-powerful and deserves much praise.
We may praise the Lord at our homes,
At our Church or Parish,
Outside or through nature,
By ourselves, with others, or as one community.
We must praise in harmony with others,
As a harp complements the sound of a piano.
We must create spiritual energy of our own,
To combine with that of others to join in praise for our Savior.
Whether we praise through prayer,
Through action or deed, charity or advocacy.
As we live on this Earth,
We must find a way to praise the almighty One,
The One who gave us this life.
