Daily Bread

I love you, O Lord my strength.
The Lord is my crag, my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation and my stronghold.
I cried to the Lord in my anguish
and I was saved from my enemies.
The cords of death entwined me
and the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the Pit fastened about me
and the snares of death entangled me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord
and cried out to my God for help.

One thing I love about some of the psalms is how they can be appropriated into any situation, giving us a voice to our deepest feelings of gratitude or lament. Often in life, we can struggle to find the right words. Perhaps we are not very articulate, or struggle with dyslexia or an ailment. Perhaps we are too afraid, in pain, or bereaved. Thank God that we have a resource at our fingertips — one that is tried and tested over millennia and not been found wanting.

Next week, on the Wednesday of Holy Week, we are hosting an Agape (Love) Supper. This year, I've decided to base it on 'freedom from slavery'. In it we will remember freedom from slavery in Egypt (Passover), freedom from slavery to sin (Christ), freedom from the Atlantic slave trade, and our future freedom from pain and suffering. This psalm could be read on any of those occasions, but better than that, what if we read the psalm in the midst of our suffering, sort of praying it as a prophetic chant — calling into the present that which we hope to be.

Whatever situation you find yourself in (and I know many of you are struggling with all kinds of things) perhaps pray Psalm 118.1-6 out loud, for by doing so, you will be sticking a flag in the ground, and claiming your place in the heart of God.

Holy God
I place my life into your hands
and my trust is in you alone.
May I claim the words of the psalmist as my own,
for you are my strength,
you are my crag,
you are my fortress,
you are my deliverer,
you are my rock,
you are my refuge,
you are my shield,
you are the horn of my salvation,
and you are my stronghold.
Now and forever.