When we’ve been here ten thousand years
Bright, shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun
Amazing Grace, by John Newton verse 6
Yesterday was tough. Words of praise were replaced with deep prayers and lament. Tuesday a car hit my “little brother” coming home on his motorcycle from a visitation to a parishioner. He slid across 30 feet of pavement and sustained multiple broken bones. The surgery scheduled for yesterday morning had to be postponed to last night so my heart was praying for mercy all day. My husband who is declining with Parkinson’s and dementia had new wounds on his feet last night. Some days are like this. Praise comes in the form of having a God to turn to, a God who knows pain, and a God who cried over death at Lazarus’ tomb. I turned to Psalm 25, the psalm that goes with today’s date. God’s word gave me words to bring my laments before a God who is risen, who sees me and my loved ones, and who cares. Join me in reading it.
Psalm 25: A Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance of David.
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.
12 Who are they that fear the Lord?
He will teach them the way that they should choose.
13 They will abide in prosperity, and their children shall possess the land.
14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever towards the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart, and bring me[a] out of my distress.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 O guard my life, and deliver me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all its troubles.
On the Way to Wonder 