All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he perceives from far away.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Psalm 138:4-8
Being in the midst of trouble and facing the fury of my enemies is a very dark and lonely place within me. My enemies can be big and scary: failure, loss, self-judgment, self-criticism, general fear and loathing. My rational mind is of no help. I mentally repeat my mistakes and re-experience the results of bad decisions or lost opportunities. None of this has ever helped me.
What has and does help me is expressed in this psalm. I call out to God, who answers me by giving me strength. I praise God and give thanks, helping me to remember that I am not alone, that a power far greater than I is available to me. My fears lose their fury, and I feel God's love. I feel more able to walk in the midst of trouble because I have felt God's presence and know God is near.
And I feel safe. It is not a small thing to feel safe in this world. For that alone I praise God.
Kathryn Ravenwood
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he perceives from far away.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Psalm 138:4-8
Being in the midst of trouble and facing the fury of my enemies is a very dark and lonely place within me. My enemies can be big and scary: failure, loss, self-judgment, self-criticism, general fear and loathing. My rational mind is of no help. I mentally repeat my mistakes and re-experience the results of bad decisions or lost opportunities. None of this has ever helped me.
What has and does help me is expressed in this psalm. I call out to God, who answers me by giving me strength. I praise God and give thanks, helping me to remember that I am not alone, that a power far greater than I is available to me. My fears lose their fury, and I feel God's love. I feel more able to walk in the midst of trouble because I have felt God's presence and know God is near.
And I feel safe. It is not a small thing to feel safe in this world. For that alone I praise God.
Kathryn Ravenwood
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