Psalm 61
I’m not very good at breaking down the Psalms and putting myself into the writer’s situation. Commentaries help, but still there’s a depth to the Psalms that I never reach. That is not to say, however, that the Psalms are not helpful to me. We have already seen that many verses in the Psalms have been put to music, some songs of which are very dear to me. But beyond that, some verses just “leap off the page”, whether or not I am catching the psalmist’s original meaning. That happened today.
…You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. (v. 5b) David was speaking of his own heritage, presumably his birth into the nation of Israel, but I’m thinking of my own “heritage” – Jesus, His life and His church. How different my life would have been if the Lord had not put His life into mine back in 1975! I can count days, times, events in my life for which I can only give credit to God. For example, all the events that had to take place in my life and hers for me to meet and marry Carol…! My advanced years of education were the direct result of an intervention in my life by a godly man at a time when my life was directionless. And the many events that ultimately brought us to St. Andrew’s, to be with you people – a wonderful turnabout from where we were all headed. Glory! Yes, this is a narrative in which I can intersperse praise into so many life events. You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
Thanks Fred. You’re so right, we do have a heritage of people and circumstances which have led us to God. Ps. 61:2 jumped at me. “From the ends of the earth I call to you…” We don’t need a temple, church building, or special mountain to journey to. We can cry out to God wherever we are. Our God is accessible!! No travel or technology needed. Of course we do need the companionship and accountability of our church family. The blessings the people of St. Andrew’s have given me are priceless. So we gather to worship God and to become family and to become a heritage to others to bring them to God. And we can cry out to God, any time, any place.
So true, Courtenay!
We are amazingly blessed in having faith in a God that allows us access to him any time, anywhere—in fact, he tells us to do just that. Wow!