Jer. 1:11-19
Rom. 1:1-15
John 4:27-42
Psalm 57
1Be 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.
2I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3He will send from heaven and save me, he will put to shame those who trample on me. God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.
4I lie down among lions that greedily devour human prey; their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.
6They 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.
7My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make melody.
8Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn.
9I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds.
11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.
As we enter the second week of Lent, Ps. 57 offers a look at the paradox of life. Despite being threatened by enemies, the psalmist looks to God and sings. He is able to do this because of the faith that says, “Your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds”.
Isn’t it amazing how in this season of penitence and self-denial we are reminded to praise the Lord for God’s steadfast love? The Hebrew word for steadfast love or loving-kindness is ‘chesed’. One of the 10 attributes of God (as given by the Hebrew definition), chesed is translated as mercy, grace, and love with the desire to emulate God. Chesed is active and initiates the act of steadfast love from/of God. According to other Jewish thought, chesed is also one of the 3 pillars that support life and the world (study of the Torah and worship of God are the other 2) This picture is a symbol of chesed as the center of life.
1Be 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.
2I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3He will send from heaven and save me, he will put to shame those who trample on me. God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.
4I lie down among lions that greedily devour human prey; their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.
6They 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.
7My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make melody.
8Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn.
9I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds.
11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.
As we enter the second week of Lent, Ps. 57 offers a look at the paradox of life. Despite being threatened by enemies, the psalmist looks to God and sings. He is able to do this because of the faith that says, “Your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds”.
Isn’t it amazing how in this season of penitence and self-denial we are reminded to praise the Lord for God’s steadfast love? The Hebrew word for steadfast love or loving-kindness is ‘chesed’. One of the 10 attributes of God (as given by the Hebrew definition), chesed is translated as mercy, grace, and love with the desire to emulate God. Chesed is active and initiates the act of steadfast love from/of God. According to other Jewish thought, chesed is also one of the 3 pillars that support life and the world (study of the Torah and worship of God are the other 2) This picture is a symbol of chesed as the center of life.
Steve Green has a song called Lord of the Dawn taken in part from this psalm. The chorus says:Lord of the dawn shine your light,
change the darkness where fear dims our sight,
make one more new day bright,
Lord of the dawn,
We praise you for your steadfast love,
from morning's light till the setting sun,
ev'ry moment eternity comes,
to know we have only begun
giving thanks to the Lord of the dawn.
The song says God’s steadfast (chesed) love is from morning’s light till the setting sun. The psalmist says it is as high as the heavens. God’s chesed is greater than we can imagine or attain. We need to have the steadfast heart the psalmist speaks of. That is how we remain in relationship with God. If we are to be in relationship with God, what acts of ‘loving kindness’ should we be doing?
For your journal: Draw your interpretation of chesed. Is it a heart, hands held out or interlocked, or something entirely different?
