Gloria Jean

At the beginning of Ps. 42 there is a desperate longing for God as for water when one has been in a desert without it for a long time. The ongoing plight of refugees readily come to my mind. Those who cross the barren land through Mexico, risking their lives so desperate for safety, security and hope for better life in America. Questions, real and rhetorical....The Psalmist cries out to God and lays bare his feelings of abandonment, he also goes inside himself and questions himself and answers with self talk....somewhat like an internal dialogue with God...and finally he comes out of the questioning and dialogue with his awareness that "what has worked/been in the past remains"....God is with him, he must trust in God's continued presence and guiding. Yes, I have felt far from God at times in my life...I went to God in prayer, struggled with God in prayer and went to scripture, confessed what I know to be true..."when you feel far from God, God isn't the one who moved!" Confessed my weakness, asked God to help "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief". I also asked others for their prayers.

This is easy....all week I have been singing and praying "O Lord our God how majestic is your name in all the earth...." Michael W. Smith's song expressing Psalm 8. It has been my companion and prayer both silently and aloud. I plan to teach it to seminary students I will be teaching/sharing the Psalms with early 2020.

Psalm 139 is a favorite of mine. I never tire reading it and I believe the author like I, stands in great awe of the power of God experienced through creation and particularly the marvelous, mystery of the human being. David further reflects on his own life/exhistance and truly marvels, is overcome, with the awareness of how fully God knows him "inside and outside" and is humbled before God....that God should know, love and delight in him. ( Same as expressed in Ps. 8:3 and following) In the closing verses 23 & 24 the Psalmist emphasizes his awareness of God's omniscience and lays himself bare as it were before God; imploring God to purify and make him worthy.