Tues Yr B bet Jun 28-Jul 2
Psalm 88,Leviticus 15:19-31,2 Corinthians 9:1-5
Today’s Reading:
Psalm 88:1-5 (NIV)
O Lord, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.
May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.
I am counted among those who go down into the pit; I am like a person without strength.
Mom lost her job and Dad’s work was cut back. The economy had tanked. Frustrations increased and fears concerning the paying of the bills and putting food on the table grew each day.
Johnny and Emily watched as Mom and Dad wrestled with the challenges.
“Do you think we’re going to starve?” Emily asked her older brother.
“No, Mom says the Lord will save us.” Johnny replied.
When things were their bleakest, Mom and Dad called the kids to gather around to read the Bible and pray for a way out of their predicament.
“Let’s read Psalm 88. It’s a song for the Jews who were having a bad time of it.” Dad began. “Crying out to God, they recognized that only God could save them.”
“But it sounded horrible, Dad.” Johnny squinted his eyes, questioning.
“It was terrible. They don’t gloss over it and pretend all is great. Bad things happen to good people. Can anyone tell me what they did?”
“They cried.” Emily added.
“Yes, they did.” Mom agreed. “They cried day and night.”
“They seemed to have a lot of injuries and illness if they were close to death and without strength.” Dad suggested. “It is just like today. I feel bad and wish things were better. I don’t see a way out and yet, God is with us. It says, ‘the God who saves us’ and we must trust that God will provide a way.”
“I’ve known God all of my life.” Mom spoke quietly. “While I have disappointed God, God has come through for me–sometimes at the last second, like a basketball team scoring a basket just before the final buzzer rings.”
“Through it all, when we are most overwhelmed,” Dad summarized, “we can cry to God. We can read this song, if we can’t think of our own words. This Psalm helps us express the fears and frustrations, anger and missteps, pain and sorrow and everything that brings us down. It’s like the song writer said that he was falling into a deep pit–of despair, no doubt. Most important, though, is to focus on the key words: “Oh Lord, the God who saves me….”
“Can we pray and ask the-God-who-saves-me to help us?” Emily asked.
They held hands in a circle and Mom began to pray.
“Oh Lord, the God who saves us, we confess that we are overwhelmed and unable to see a way through this economic crisis. You are our creator and you love us. We trust in you to empower us to have faith when it seems hopeless; to work our hardest to be obedient to what you want us to do. We believe that you can provide for us, but help us when we don’t. For the many others who also suffer, around the world and in this country, may they find their safety in your hands, even as we will. Amen.”
Mom’s eyes were glistening when she finished and she exchanged smiles with each member of the family.
“Is that it?” Johnny asked.
“Yes and no.” Dad replied. “Yes, because we have committed it to God’s hand and he will provide, and no, because we will still have to work hard. I’m looking for more work every day and Mom is job hunting. God will provide a way to save us.”
Just then, the phone rang and before they could answer it, the message machine clicked on. “This is Jameson Enterprises call for Ms. Treat regarding your enquiry about a job. Please call us…”
Mom picked up the phone and introduced herself. When she came back, she was smiling. “They’ve asked me to come in for an interview. Things are looking better already. Let’s stop and thank God.”
They all smiled as they grabbed hands to say a quick thanks to God for the encouraging news.
Prayer for the day:
“God of love, who saves us. We confess we have sinned against you. Forgive us and make us strong when we are weak so we can do what you want us to do. Equip us for the challenges we face. We believe in you and ask you to help us when we falter. Provide for our house and food so that we can show others how great you are. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.”
