Deserted – Lamentations 1:1
Lamentation is important in order to be self-honest and honest with God, and not to pretend that things are better than they are or that we are better than we are.
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Psalm 119:145 – Answer Me
Sometimes we need to get less busy and wait.
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Psalm 119:67 – Afflicted
Before I was afflicted, I went astray,but now I keep your word. What is your reaction to difficult times? I’m not a terribly optimistic person, and I don’t take to it all that well. I’ve noticed that modern Christians have inconsistent responses to trouble. On the one hand, they’ll say that if God is in…
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Psalm 119:58 – Favor
I seek your face with all my heart.Show me favor according to your word. A friend commenting on Facebook mentioned ancient translations, so I thought I’d mention a few of these over the next few days just to give a flavor. If you’re not that interested in this kind of detail, skip the section between…
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Psalm 119:57 – Still Mine!
You are my portion Lord.I have said that I will keep your word. It’s interesting to look at multiple translations of this. Many of these translations reflect ways in which my meditation was going even before I read them. Some are straightforward, such as the NRSV: “The LORD is my portion; / I promise to…
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Psalm 119:53 – Rage!
Rage seizes me because of the wicked,Those who abandon your instruction. As I read this I remembered one interesting point about reading the Psalms. These are largely a record of what people said in worship of, or in honor of God, and not necessarily instructions for us. I immediately want to temper that with another…
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Psalm 119:52 – Finding Comfort
I remembered your judgments from ages past,Oh Lord, in them I found comfort. The division of this verse into two lines seems slightly odd. I’ve taken it as a chiasm, a b b’ a’: (a) I remember your judgments (b) from ages past (b’) Oh Lord, (a’) I found comfort. It’s interesting to watch for…
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Psalm 119:51 – Confidence
I discuss the importance of respectful dialogue about faith, emphasizing that true confidence doesn’t rely on demeaning others. Understanding diverse beliefs fosters communication and counters arrogance.
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Psalm 119:45 – Speaking Before Kings
I will speak of your testimonies before Kingsand will not be ashamed. Do you speak of your faith to other people? For many, this is a question specifically about making religious statements. Can you attempt to “bring someone to Christ?” Can you make a new disciple? What I wonder is whether we can talk about…
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Psalm 119:45 – Walk in Liberty
So I will walk in libertyfor I seek your precepts. I must credit Mitchell Dahood in his 3 volume commentary on Psalms in the Anchor Bible (vol 1, vol 2, vol 3) for the word “liberty.” I was struggling for a translation that I felt lived up to the context. I think that one does….
