God Always Faithful

An Everlasting Covenant 

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Faithful God, Unfaithful People

Psalm 44:1-8 The Message

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah

44 1-3 We’ve been hearing about this, God,
    all our lives.
Our fathers told us the stories
    their fathers told them,
How single-handedly you weeded out the godless
    from the fields and planted us,
How you sent those people packing
    but gave us a fresh start.
We didn’t fight for this land;
    we didn’t work for it—it was a gift!
You gave it, smiling as you gave it,
    delighting as you gave it.
4-8 You’re my King, O God—
     command victories for Jacob!
You’re my King, O God—
    command victories for Jacob!
With your help, we’ll wipe out our enemies,
    in your name, we’ll stomp them to dust.
I don’t trust in weapons;
    my sword won’t save me—
But it’s you, you who saved us from the enemy;
    you made those who hate us lose face.
All day we parade God’s praise—
    we thank you by name over and over.

For Reflection 

Can we suspend the references to violence for a moment and perhaps look at these passages as a message for our time? The Earth is a gift from God. Not that we own it, but rather we are its caretakers, stewards of the land and the people thereon.

The enemies of God's people are and always have been us!  We tend to blame our sinfulness on everyone and everything other than our fragile hold on the promise of God. No amount of warfare, law, imprisonment, or political action has the power that trusting in God and being faithfully God-centered can yield.

God will save us from ourselves.  All we have to do is accept the powerlessness of our human condition and accept God's overtures for reconciliation. God will handle the rest. Peace and rest will surely follow. 

Pray. 

Pray so that you can rest in God. Pray for the courage to become a God--collaborator in the reconciliation of humankind to God.