Today’s scripture: Psalm 131 (NRSV) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Keith Phillips):
Recently I was reading to a dementia patient from Romans 8 (King James Version, of course, is what dementia patients like best), eager to get to the part about nothing separating us from the love of God; but I ran across verse 24, which begins: “for we are saved by hope.” Bells went off. What would Martin Luther say? Every evangelical Christian knows that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).
I then realized, maybe for the first time, that hope and faith are very closely related. It struck me how, especially in times like these, hope is a function of faith. It is precisely because I have faith, because I completely trust God and God’s unconditional love for me that I can have the hope that everything is all right, everything will be all right, just as, when I look back, everything has been all right. How remarkable to be led to this learning by a dementia patient. God can use any of us!
The psalmist encourages God’s people to hope, in verse three. In verses one and two, the psalmist describes himself and why it is that he can hope. Humility is obviously the key. It is so easy to think that I have to be in control of everything, that I should be in charge of my own destiny. The truth is that there’s mighty little, beyond myself, that I can truly control. This is where I know I must trust God. God is sovereign. God’s loving power is phenomenal; I’ve seen it at work in my life in ways that are beyond comprehension. How is it that I, an extraordinary sinner, have been so blessed?
I’ve found that true humility leads to contentment, the kind of contentment and satisfaction that a weaned baby has lying upon his/her mother’s breast. What a beautiful picture of our relationship with God, too! No longer whining and harassing God to take care of us; we have grown and are weaned from that kind of relationship. Yet we know that God will care for us. In quiet contentment, with a humble, proper sense of self, we wait with hope and with faith for what God will do next. We are ready for what the future has in store for us.
Thought for the day: Mother God, you have fed me from infancy. You have provided for all my needs. I have faith that you will always do that. Because of you, I can hope. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.