Psalm 16

Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Most of the psalms assigned for today are full of dread.

Enemies abound. The righteous suffer. Injustice reigns.

These threats are still with us, at times very close.

But in the midst of terrible troubles there is beauty, goodness, even love.

The path of life shows itself even - especially? - in darkness.

Psalm 16

Psalm 84

How lovely is thy dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yea,
faints for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

I am traveling and busy.

There is too much to do and too little time to do it.

I will not go to church today, and already regret the choice.

But I will look for another way to sing for joy.

Psalm 84

Psalm 138

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 fulfil his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

I am still being formed.

As much as at conception,

As much as when I learned to walk or speak,

As much as at thirteen,

The purposes of my life are still being shaped.

Psalm 138

Psalm 40

Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,
but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt-offering and sin-offering
you have not required.
Then I said, ‘Here I am;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.’

I can be distracted and fail to do your will.

Occasionally I am afraid and resist doing your will.

Too often I am self-serving, foolish, corrupt and choose to oppose your will.

But I always find delight in what you have willed.

May I more often say, Here I am.

Psalm 40

Psalm 50

Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honour me;
to those who go the right way
I will show the salvation of God.

Some other options for the second verse:

to those who organize their journey...

to those who set a direction...

to those who create a path...

There is a verb and a noun, there is no adjective.

Psalm 50

Psalm 49

My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.

We encounter many riddles.

We are in greater need of proverbs.

A proverb seems simple, but reveals a complex truth.

A riddle seems complicated, but typically has a simple solution.

There is wisdom in solving riddles, greater wisdom in applying proverbs.

Psalm 49

Psalm 47

God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the king of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm.

That Which Exists ascends, goes up, grows up.

That Which Exists expands, extends, encompasses.

That Which Exists stirs us, draws us up, carries us away.

Psalm 47

Psalm 52

But God will break you down for ever;
he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.

The verse is meant as a warning, even a curse, but I wonder.

God will nathats netsach:

God will pull down, break down, separate into pieces.

Perpetually, enduringly, eminently, excellently.

Until we get it right?

Psalm 52

Psalm 63

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
when I think of you on my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Abundant sky.

Abundant stars.

Abundant earth.

Abundant love.

Abundant life.


Psalm 63

Psalm 43

O send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.

It is cloudy and the moon is thin.

Yet as I step into the morning darkness, my shadow falls before me.

There is sufficient light to find my way.

Psalm 43

Psalm 35

Do not let my treacherous enemies rejoice over me,
or those who hate me without cause wink the eye.
For they do not speak peace,
but they conceive deceitful words
against those who are quiet in the land.
They open wide their mouths against me;
they say, ‘Aha, Aha,
our eyes have seen it.’

The most treacherous enemy I know is myself.

I set nets that ensnare my best intentions.

I dig pits into which I fall.

"How long, O Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their ravages,
my life from the lions!"

Righteousness - tsedeq - is fulfilling our best selves, rescued from our worst selves.

Psalm 35

Psalm 37

Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious of wrongdoers,
for they will soon fade like the grass,
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make your vindication shine like the light,
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.

Do not fret is a very soft translation of the Hebrew חָרָה or charah.

Literally it is to burn, figuratively to be consumed by anger.

Last evening I was angry, mostly because something caused me to fret.

The source of anger was a business proposal both too expensive and too speculative and suggesting the need to move on without the help of those making the proposal.

I fretted over how I could be effective without their help. A sense of my own powerlessness caused the anger.

I do not think those offering the proposal are "wicked." But I do perceive they "prosper in their own way," which is not consistent with the way to which I am currently called.

Do not fret.

Psalm 37

Psalm 119

Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
Turn my heart to your decrees,
and not to selfish gain.
Turn my eyes from looking at vanities;
give me life in your ways.

Last evening most Jews celebrated the end of Sukkoth.

I went out for drinks with a colleague.

It was a great place: fine wine, good food, wonderful service, fabulous location, beautiful night.

Were these momentary joys mere vanities? Empty symbols of selfish gain?

It is possible and worth careful discernment.

But I hope not and perhaps precisely in giving God thanks, the secular may sometimes be made sacred.

Sukkoth is, among other things, a celebration of vulnerability, diversity, and dependence. I am vulnerable to vanity. But in my relationship with God I know any sense of vanity is delusion.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 119

Psalm 26

But as for me, I walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
My foot stands on level ground;
in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.

The psalmist has found his integrity. He is completed, finished.

Yet he is still in need of God's redemption.

He still depends on God's grace.

I am responsible for choosing when and where I will stand.

But I depend on God for leading me to the level ground.

Psalm 26

Psalm 9

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

I will give thanks.

The Hebrew יָדָה or yadah means to use the hand, to throw, or to cast.

In giving thanks we are releasing ourselves, even propelling ourselves toward God.

Psalm 9

Psalm 114

Why is it, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs?
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turns the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water.

In a hurricane, in an earthquake, in the sudden storm, we tremble.

Any change is a perceived threat, even change that renews and restores.

We persist on the cusp of chaos, deluding ourselves that this thin ledge over the abyss, with the rickety rail we built ourselves, is a fortress strong.

Much better, much wiser is to trust in That Which Exists.

Unfolding, awe-inspiring, gift-giving, God gives us new days and new ways.

Psalm 114

Psalm 117

Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love towards us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Praise the Lord!

To praise God is to shine.

In praise we reflect the light of God.

In praise we release our own light.

Psalm 117

Psalm 16

You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

The direction is reasonably clear.

But we cannot be sure what is around the bend.

Between us and our destination are various impediments.

I am often distracted and wander away.

But am always welcomed when I return.


Psalm 16

Psalm 18

He brought me out into a broad place;
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.

Are we gifted or compensated?

Do we receive what we earn or despite what we do?

From another psalm assigned for today: "If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?" (Psalm 130)

God delights in you, and even in me, despite all?

We are loved, not because we are loveable but because God is love.

Psalm 18

Psalm 14

The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind
to see if there are any who are wise,
who seek after God.
They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse;
there is no one who does good,
no, not one.

The purpose of wisdom is the pursuit of good.

Wisdom is the process of giving close attention, considering carefully, and taking action that fits reality and purpose.

The good of scripture is very similar to the good, beautiful, and true of classical philosophy.

While sometimes treated as a noun, the scripture's good is actually a verb.

טוֹב or towb is to be happy, be joyful, be kind, be pleasing, be pleasant.



Psalm 14

Psalm 10

O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,
so that those from earth may strike terror no more.

It is the vulnerable who suffer most from terror.

The oppressed, orphaned, widowed, poor and weak are in greatest need of justice.

This is a justice - שָׁפַט or shaphat - that governs through law, principled argument, and careful judgment.

Psalm 10

Psalm 4

There are many who say, ‘O that we might see some good!
Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!’
You have put gladness in my heart
more than when their grain and wine abound.

If you give more you will receive more.

This is the typical deal offered by many.

We have been invited to be in full relationship with That Which Exists.

Compared to this relationship nothing else matters.

In this relationship opportunity abounds and fulfillment is found.

Psalm 4

Psalm 112

It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved;
they will be remembered for ever.
They are not afraid of evil tidings;
their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor;
their righteousness endures for ever;
their horn is exalted in honour.

Righteousness is a fulfillment of the self.

To be righteous is to find and do what God intends for you.

Righteousness is expressed in how we relate to others.

The Hebrew meaning to lend or loan is also the word to be joined.

Our true self is joined with others through shared relationship with God and in a common dependence on one another.

Psalm 112

Psalm 144

May our sons in their youth
be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars,
cut for the building of a palace.
May our barns be filled
with produce of every kind;
may our sheep increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields,
and may our cattle be heavy with young.
May there be no breach in the walls, no exile,
and no cry of distress in our streets.
Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall;
happy are the people whose God is the Lord.

We often pray for prosperity.

We should give thanks.

We should open ourselves to God.

We should seek to be in relationship with God.

In relationship with God we are ready for whatever may happen.

Psalm 144

Psalm 143

Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
Let your good spirit lead me
on a level path.

Understanding may not always be possible.

But I am to do what God wants.

This is a different "do" than yesterday: עָשָׂה or asah.

I am to make, produce, prepare, acquire, observe, use, complete... what God wants.

I am to allow the spirit of God to lead me to go and do what God wants.

Psalm 143

Psalm 1

Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

In all that they do...

The original Hebrew is צָלַח or tsalach.

This is to break out, rush forward, advance.

The tree breaks out of the ground, reaches high, and blossoms.

The tree draws on deep waters and yields its fruit for all that pass by.

Psalm 1

Psalm 130

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.

My task is to keep watch through the night.

With the morning's arrival my task will be complete.

I am confident that morning will come.

I look for morning's first light with hope and joy.

With that light I will return home.

Psalm 130

Psalm 127

It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives sleep to his beloved.

At least one-third of my life should be given to sleep.

A bit more is better. Any less causes me trouble.

What a wonderfully strange gift. We essentially enter a different dimension.

How often sleep finds solutions when all else has failed.

Unwilled, without inhibition, exploring as it likes our sleeping self confronts our fears, hopes, conflicts, passions... and uncanny, even crazy possibilities.

Another translation: He provides to his beloved during sleep.

Psalm 127

Psalm 130

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.

Waiting - at least waiting for God - is not passive.

It is an active seeking and careful attention.

To wait on God is a binding together of my self with God.

Psalm 130

Psalm 118

O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!

One way or another, this is often (usually?) my prayer.

The original Hebrew translated as success can mean profit, prosperity, progress, advance.

The same psalm also offers:

Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.

This is the better prayer and a more promising path to meaningful progress.

Psalm 118

Psalm 33

Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
Our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.

We trust in the particular identity of God.

We are confident of God's character.

We know God to be loving, kind, and merciful.

We rejoice in the present.

We prepare ourselves for the unfolding of That Which Exists.

Psalm 33