Surrounded by Lions

Image Shared by Susanna Jezreel

Scripture

Psalm 57

¹   Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
          for in you my soul takes refuge;
     in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
          until the destroying storms pass by.
²   I cry to God Most High,
          to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
³   He will send from heaven and save me,
          he will put to shame those who trample on me. Selah
     God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.

⁴   I lie down among lions
          that greedily devour human prey;
     their teeth are spears and arrows,
          their tongues sharp swords.

⁵   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
          Let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶   They set a net for my steps;
          my soul was bowed down.
     They dug a pit in my path,
          but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
⁷   My heart is steadfast, O God,
          my heart is steadfast.
     I will sing and make melody.
⁸        Awake, my soul!
     Awake, O harp and lyre!
          I will awake the dawn.
⁹   I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
          I will sing praises to you among the nations.
¹⁰   For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;
          your faithfulness extends to the clouds.

¹¹   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
     Let your glory be over all the earth.

Devotion

My heart is heavy.  In Arkansas, a pastor I know was tear-gassed during a nonviolent protest last night.  In Minnesota, the daughter of a friend has evacuated her home and moved into a motel room.  In Louisville, Kentucky, many of my friends, mentors, and colleagues, are searching for answers and bracing themselves for another round of protests after last night's fatal shooting of restaurant owner David McAtee.  Meanwhile, a pandemic continues to rage all around us.  It seems as if everywhere I look, there is some sharp-toothed lion poised to devour the people and places that I love.  Yes, my heart is heavy.  At times, all this pain, sorrow, fear, anger, and death feel like to much to bear.

The author of Psalm 51 knows these feelings well, because they too have found themselves beset by death and destruction.  The psalmist compares what they are facing to a ravenous lion, a destructive storm, and deadly traps set in their way.  But despite all their fear and sorrow, they still raise their voice and sing God's praises.  Twice, the psalmists writes "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.  Let your glory be over all the earth."

In Hebrew,  ר֣וּמָה (or "to exalt") literally mans "to be high" or "to be raised up.  The psalmist envisions God to as being raised even higher than heaven itself.  From that lofty perch, God's glory is able to shine down to cover the entire world.   Because the Lord is both so exalted, so loving, and so faithful in all things, the psalmist trusts that God's good purposes for themselves and all the Children of Israel will one day be fulfilled. Hungry lions may lick their lips and the violent storms may rage, God will protect his people.  The psalmist  finds the inner strength to remain faithful to God, because they know in their hearts that God will eventually overcome all who seek to harm them.

The psalmist's decision to continue praising God even in their distress is a powerful witness to the strength and perseverance it can take to serve our Living God.  It should also make us as ourselves an important question: what does it mean to keep our heart's steadfast and sing God's praises in times such as the one we are in now?

Given the vast number of times the prophets, the apostles ,and Christ himself spoke out against injustice and violence, I cannot believe that God would have us be silent when we see people suffering.  Praising God means being brave enough to speak Truth to Power..  It means doing what we can to help those who are hurting seeking justice on behalf of the oppressed so that true Peace can enter the world.  We are to lift our voices even when it makes us uncomfortable or we know that we will offend people.  For if we truly believe that God is to be exalted above even the heavens themselves, then his commandments to protect the vulnerable and lift up the downtrodden should be more important to us than our popularity, our privilege, and even our own personal safety.

It's not easy to lie down with others amidst the hungry lions and or to shelter under God's wings with them as the storms of hatred rage around us.  But no one ever said that doing God's work is easy.  What the Bible promises us is that when we stay true to God and continue to the Holy One of Israel in the midst of the storm, then our steadfast Lord let us see the day when all those who would trample his beloved children shall be put to shame.

As the sun goes down and so many people that I love brace themselves for another night in the storm, I pray that God will give my heart the steadfastness it needs to keep me praising his name and working on behalf of peace and justice.  I for God to protect  those in harm's way and to change the hearts and minds of those who would hurt them.  May they never forget that though the lions may roar and the storm may rage about them, God is there to shelter them under his wings.  And though I may not be physically standing beside them, I hope they feel my spiritual presence alongside them.

We are God's people.  With God to protect us, we shall overcome all who seek to trample or destroy his people.  And some bright day, we will see God's perfect Kingdom exalted over all the sinfulness and brokenness of human existence.

Prayer

Lord, your children all across are crying out for help.  Help us to remain steadfast to your will and place our trust in you.  May we bear witness to your faithfulness as we seek to bring an end  to systemic racism, violence, and all other forms of injustice  We know that through the power of your son Jesus Christ, all evil will one day be overcome.  Make us a part of that process.  And may the day when we see you exalted over all the heavens and your glory shining over the earth come soon.  Amen.