Distress is extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain; a state of danger or desperate need. Desperate times result in desperate measures. But sometimes escape from distress eludes us, as in the situation in Psalm 120 – distress. What can we learn about distress from Psalm 120? Psalm 120 Psalm 120 is the first of a series […]
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What does it mean to be blameless? Are any of us completely blameless? And what does Psalm 119 – blameless teach us about the word? Psalm 119 Just two weeks ago we reflected on the shortest psalm in the book of Psalms, Psalm 117. This week we reflect on the longest psalm in the book […]
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The celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and all things green approaches, as well as March Madness. I’m a Michigan State Spartans fan – go green! But I have found myself reflecting on a less positive green — jealousy, the green-eyed monster. Jealousy and a Critical Spirit Many years ago, while a mother of young children […]
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Psalm 118 – good, begins and ends with the call to thank God for God is good. Why? What does it mean to say God is good? Psalm 118 The last of the Hallel psalms, Psalm 118 is a beautiful psalm, beloved by Matin Luther, and recited by Jesus on the night before he died. “Psalm […]
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In Psalm 117 – all nations, all people are called to praise the Lord, a much-needed call for unity. What common ground can be found for unity through this psalm? Psalm 117 Psalm 117 is the shortest of all the Psalms, with only 2 verses. Yet it is a powerful psalm. Despite its shortness, Martin […]
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Why do you love the Lord? Psalm 116 – I love the Lord, lists a number of reasons why the writer loves the Lord. Perhaps you can add your own reasons to the list. Psalm 116 Psalm 116 – I love the Lord, begins with the statement of the writer’s love for God. He then […]
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Not to us, the singers of Psalm 115 proclaim, not once but twice. Don’t give the glory to us they say – a sign of true humility. Who do you give the glory to? Do you give glory to false idols or to our God? What do we learn from Psalm 115 – not to […]
Read More Psalm 114 – sanctuary, is a beautiful psalm, full of imagery about God’s sanctuary. What is God’s sanctuary? Where do you find sanctuary? Psalm 114 Psalm 114 is the second of the Hallel psalms recited at Seder meals each year. It encapsulates the Exodus experience from the crossing of the Red Sea to the entrance […]
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It appears that we here are experiencing an old-fashioned Michigan winter, the kind I remember from my childhood with an abundance of cold and snow. Not the grey dreary ones we’ve had for the past ten or more years. Arrival Amid a Snowstorm I came into this mess after six weeks in Australia where there […]
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Servants have a unique position in households. They often see what others do not see. Psalm 133 – servants of the Lord, calls upon God’s servants to praise the Lord. What do these servants see that others do not? Psalm 113 Psalm 113 is the first of the six Egyptian Hallel psalms, psalm 113-118. The […]
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