Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

In the Shadow of your Wings, Psalm 17, Day 44, Feb 13th,

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In the Shadow of your Wings




Psalm 17

ESV notes–An individual lament for cases when the person suffering considers himself unjustly accused of wrong by a worldly enemy. It is a prayer for vindication, ending by expressing confidence in the true portion of the faithful.



A prayer of David.

 1 Hear me, LORD, my plea is just;
   listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
   it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you;
   may your eyes see what is right.
 3 Though you probe my heart,
   though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
   my mouth has not transgressed.
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
   I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
   through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;
   my feet have not stumbled.
The word of God has protected the Psalmist.
 6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
   turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,
   you who save by your right hand
   those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
Safeguard me as the pupil of your eye. A conventional Hebrew metaphor for protection against oppression.


hide me in the shadow of your wings 
evokes a place of safety. Metaphor for the protective outreach of God’s power.
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
   from my mortal enemies who surround me.
The Lord can keep one safe amid peril.
 10 They close up their callous hearts,
   and their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
   with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
   like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
Imagery of one’s opponents hunting one down.
 13 Rise up, LORD, confront them, bring them down;
   with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, LORD,
   from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
The Psalmist sums up the world view of those who have no fear of God in this phrase.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
   may their children gorge themselves on it,
   and may there be leftovers for their little ones.
ESV notes–In such an environment of threat, the proper recourse is prayer for the enemy’s defeat. Since they are unrepentant, deliverance for the pious requires defeat for the attacker. The specific type of defeat is left up to God. 
 15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
   when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

You alone are my portion and cup Psalm 16, Day 38, Feb 7th,

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Eleven lines, but so much balm. I have heard the Psalms all my life (a cradle Catholic) and have been reading them myself for 4 decades, since my teens.

This is one of those Psalms which instantly calms me, the words themselves, even before the meaning penetrates my consciousness. Without meaning to sound mystical, it’s like a bell summoning me to another realm.

NIV–A prayer for safekeeping, and a Psalm of trust. Along with Psalm 23, it underscores faith/trust along with conformity to God’s law as the essential characteristics of those who bring their prayers to God.

Psalm 16

 1 Keep me safe, my God,

   for in you I take refuge.
 2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
   apart from you I have no good thing.”
Moses refused to enter the promised Land without God, “unless your presence goes with us.” I am with him. I don’t think I would enjoy even the things I most want unless I could enjoy them with the consciousness of God’s presence, the waterfall of his blessings pouring down on me.
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
   “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
   I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
   or take up their names on my lips.
 5 LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
The Lord himself is our reward.
   you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
As they have for me, though in the fourth decade of life
   surely I have a delightful inheritance.
The inheritance of faith, of being in the long line of those who have tasted of God, and found him good.
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
   even at night my heart instructs me.
It is one of the better times to have a rendezvous with God, and hear from him. Long hours of insomnia!!, no distractions.
8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
   With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
At my right hand, as sustainer and protector. God will help us to stand firm through all the shakings of this world.
 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
   my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

   nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

11 You make known to me the path of life;
   you will fill me with joy in your presence,
   with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
ESV The path of life. A master metaphor of the Bible. The covenant provides a path by which one walks to life in all its fullness. 
The pleasures the Psalmist has begun to enjoy in this life will continue in the life to come.

You alone are my portion and cup Psalm 16, Day 38, Feb 7th,

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Eleven lines, but so much balm. I have heard the Psalms all my life (a cradle Catholic) and have been reading them myself for 4 decades, since my teens.

This is one of those Psalms which instantly calms me, the words themselves, even before the meaning penetrates my consciousness. Without meaning to sound mystical, it’s like a bell summoning me to another realm.

NIV–A prayer for safekeeping, and a Psalm of trust. Along with Psalm 23, it underscores faith/trust along with conformity to God’s law as the essential characteristics of those who bring their prayers to God.

Psalm 16

 1 Keep me safe, my God,

   for in you I take refuge.
 2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
   apart from you I have no good thing.”
Moses refused to enter the promised Land without God, “unless your presence goes with us.” I am with him. I don’t think I would enjoy even the things I most want unless I could enjoy them with the consciousness of God’s presence, the waterfall of his blessings pouring down on me.
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
   “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
   I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
   or take up their names on my lips.
 5 LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
The Lord himself is our reward.
   you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
As they have for me, though in the fourth decade of life
   surely I have a delightful inheritance.
The inheritance of faith, of being in the long line of those who have tasted of God, and found him good.
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
   even at night my heart instructs me.
It is one of the better times to have a rendezvous with God, and hear from him. Long hours of insomnia!!, no distractions.
8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
   With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
At my right hand, as sustainer and protector. God will help us to stand firm through all the shakings of this world.
 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
   my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

   nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

11 You make known to me the path of life;
   you will fill me with joy in your presence,
   with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
ESV The path of life. A master metaphor of the Bible. The covenant provides a path by which one walks to life in all its fullness. 
The pleasures the Psalmist has begun to enjoy in this life will continue in the life to come.

Who may dwell on God’s Holy Mountain. Psalm 14 and Psalm 15 Day 33, Feb 2

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Psalm 14

NIV–A testimony concerning the moral folly of those who live as if there were no God, and therefore feel free to cruelly prey on others who are at their mercy.

For the director of music. Of David.

 1 The fool says in his heart,
   “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
   there is no one who does good.
Acting as if there is no God who sees and will judge–practical atheism– is the act of a fool.
There are three Hebrew words for fool, and they all refer to moral orientation rather than intellectual ability. 



 2 The LORD looks down from heaven
   on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
   any who seek God.
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
   there is no one who does good,
   not even one.

 4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
   They devour my people as though eating bread;
   they never call on the LORD.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
   for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
   but the LORD is their refuge.
God is the refuge of the poor. We take this on faith, and are glad for it.
ESV When suffering at the hands of the wicked, the faithful must remember that God is their refuge, and that he will protect them and defeat the evildoers.

 7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
   When the LORD restores his people,
   let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!




Psalm 15
A wonderfully calming Psalm.


A psalm of David.

 1 LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
   Who may live on your holy mountain?

 2 The one whose walk is blameless,
   who does what is righteous,
   who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander, 
   who does no wrong to a neighbor,
   and casts no slur on others; 
4 who despises a vile person
   but honors those who fear the LORD;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
   and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
   who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

   Whoever does these things
   will never be shaken.

Who may live in the presence of God. The one who does the right thing, and speaks the truth. Who does not slander others. Who is generous. God will help this man stand firm.

Who may dwell on God’s Holy Mountain. Psalm 14 and Psalm 15 Day 33, Feb 2

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Psalm 14

NIV–A testimony concerning the moral folly of those who live as if there were no God, and therefore feel free to cruelly prey on others who are at their mercy.

For the director of music. Of David.

 1 The fool says in his heart,
   “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
   there is no one who does good.
Acting as if there is no God who sees and will judge–practical atheism– is the act of a fool.
There are three Hebrew words for fool, and they all refer to moral orientation rather than intellectual ability. 
 2 The LORD looks down from heaven
   on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
   any who seek God.
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
   there is no one who does good,
   not even one.
 4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
   They devour my people as though eating bread;
   they never call on the LORD.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
   for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
   but the LORD is their refuge.
God is the refuge of the poor. We take this on faith, and are glad for it.
ESV When suffering at the hands of the wicked, the faithful must remember that God is their refuge, and that he will protect them and defeat the evildoers.
 7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
   When the LORD restores his people,
   let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!




Psalm 15
A wonderfully calming Psalm.


A psalm of David.

 1 LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
   Who may live on your holy mountain?

 2 The one whose walk is blameless,
   who does what is righteous,
   who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander, 
   who does no wrong to a neighbor,
   and casts no slur on others; 
4 who despises a vile person
   but honors those who fear the LORD;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
   and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
   who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

   Whoever does these things
   will never be shaken.

Who may live in the presence of God. The one who does the right thing, and speaks the truth. Who does not slander others. Who is generous. God will help this man stand firm.

How Long, O Lord? Psalm 12, and 13, Day 30, Jan 30

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King David

Psalm 12

The Psalmist describes a fraught, divisive situation in which no one can be trusted, for everyone tells his neighbour a version of the truth, and everyone conceals some of their hearts’ truth. 
ESV This is a community lament, suited to occasions when the people of God are dominated by liars in positions of authority.
ESV The Psalmist describes flattering lips and insincere speech (a double heart) both of which manipulate others for the sake of gain. In such an environment, the godly and the faithful become so rare that it seems as if they have disappeared, either because they have been suppressed, or because they have been seduced into lying themselves.
It seems very contemporary, and I read it with curiosity to see what David, with his vast experience of life thought God would do about it. 

1 Help, LORD, for no one is faithful any more; 

   those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
2 Everyone lies to their neighbor;
   they flatter with their lips
   but harbor deception in their hearts.
 3 May the LORD silence all flattering lips
   and every boastful tongue—
4 those who say,
   “By our tongues we will prevail;
   our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”
Those in power rely on their smooth speech to talk themselves out of a fix.
 5 “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
   I will now arise,” says the LORD.
   “I will protect them from those who malign them.” 
NIV A reassuring word from the Lord.
But evil does reach a tipping point. And at a certain point, God intervenes.
6 And the words of the LORD are flawless, 
   like silver purified in a crucible,
   like gold refined seven times.
In such a climate of insincerity, God’s promises give hope.  What the Lord says will happen.
 7 You, LORD, will keep the needy safe
   and will protect us forever from the wicked,
8 who freely strut about
   when what is vile is honored by the human race.
When people value power, money and success more than character and goodness, the wicked temporarily have the upper hand.
ESV The Psalm closes with assurance–God will protect his faithful followers. David is confident, even though, at present, the wicked think they have the upper hand. 


Psalm 13

 

1 How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? 

   How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
   and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
   How long will my enemy triumph over me?
 3 Look on me and answer, LORD my God.
   Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
   and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
 5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
   my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the LORD’s praise,
   for he has been good to me.
The Psalmist begins in despair, yet his spirits pick up as he recalls God’s unfailing love and goodness to him.
 

How Long, O Lord? Psalm 12, and 13, Day 30, Jan 30

By

King David

Psalm 12

The Psalmist describes a fraught, divisive situation in which no one can be trusted, for everyone tells his neighbour a version of the truth, and everyone conceals some of their hearts’ truth. 
ESV This is a community lament, suited to occasions when the people of God are dominated by liars in positions of authority.
ESV The Psalmist describes flattering lips and insincere speech (a double heart) both of which manipulate others for the sake of gain. In such an environment, the godly and the faithful become so rare that it seems as if they have disappeared, either because they have been suppressed, or because they have been seduced into lying themselves.
It seems very contemporary, and I read it with curiosity to see what David, with his vast experience of life thought God would do about it. 

1 Help, LORD, for no one is faithful any more; 

   those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
2 Everyone lies to their neighbor;
   they flatter with their lips
   but harbor deception in their hearts.
 3 May the LORD silence all flattering lips
   and every boastful tongue—
4 those who say,
   “By our tongues we will prevail;
   our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”
Those in power rely on their smooth speech to talk themselves out of a fix.
 5 “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
   I will now arise,” says the LORD.
   “I will protect them from those who malign them.” 
NIV A reassuring word from the Lord.
But evil does reach a tipping point. And at a certain point, God intervenes.
6 And the words of the LORD are flawless, 
   like silver purified in a crucible,
   like gold refined seven times.
In such a climate of insincerity, God’s promises give hope.  What the Lord says will happen.
 7 You, LORD, will keep the needy safe
   and will protect us forever from the wicked,
8 who freely strut about
   when what is vile is honored by the human race.
When people value power, money and success more than character and goodness, the wicked temporarily have the upper hand.
ESV The Psalm closes with assurance–God will protect his faithful followers. David is confident, even though, at present, the wicked think they have the upper hand. 


Psalm 13

 

1 How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? 

   How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
   and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
   How long will my enemy triumph over me?
 3 Look on me and answer, LORD my God.
   Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
   and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
 5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
   my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the LORD’s praise,
   for he has been good to me.
The Psalmist begins in despair, yet his spirits pick up as he recalls God’s unfailing love and goodness to him.
 

Blessing and Protection, Psalm 11, Genesis 30-31, Day 27, Jan 27

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Relax, The Lord is in his Temple. Psalm 11, Day 26, Jan 26

The light of God surrounds me,
The love of God enfolds me,
The power of God protects me,
The presence of God watches over me.
Wherever I am God is
And all is well.

 

One of the unexpected side-effects of blogging through the Bible is that it calms me down. Especially when I attempt to blog a Psalm.


The message of this Psalm is Relax. God is in charge, and he has got it all under control.

Psalm 11

 1 In the LORD I take refuge. 

Just the very words are calming.

   How then can you say to me: 
   “Flee like a bird to your mountain. 
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows; 
   they set their arrows against the strings 
to shoot from the shadows 
   at the upright in heart. 

When he considers the might of the opposition, everything seems hopeless. However, we are always under God’s protection, and no arrows can reach us unless he decides to let them reach us.

Hannah Whitall Smith’s “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life.”


Chapter Twelve: “Is God in Everything?”
“All things work together for the good of them that love the Lord.”


 I learned this lesson practically and experimentally long years before I knew the scriptural truth concerning it. I was attending a prayer-meeting held in the interests of the life of faith, when a strange lady rose to speak, and I looked at her, wondering who