In You, Beloved, I would make my home;
Though I be humiliated with guilt, Your mercy and forgiveness will deliver me!
Hear me and hasten to my assistance!
For You are my strength and have the power to raise me up!
Yes, You are strength and truth to me;
You are my teacher, my guide; the Fire of your abiding Love cleanses my heart;
Loosen the webs that entangle me, that veil my love for You.
Into your Heart I commend my soul.
You have redeemed me, O Love, O ever Faithful One.
Those who put their focus and trust in false idols
separate themselves from You, O Love.
Though You have seen my guilt and have noted my wrongdoings,
You have not left me alone with my fears;
rather, You have forgiven my folly and set my feet on Love’s path.
My heartfelt gratitude knows no bounds, O Gracious Mender of Souls!
Be a comfort to me, Beloved, for I am in distress;
my eyes are dim from weeping, my soul is deep with grief.
For my life is worn away with sorrow, and my years with sighing;
My body has weakened and my bones waste away with misery.
All my fears rise up to mock me, my neighbors turn away,
My friends dread to see me and flee from my sickness of soul.
My mind, too, has left me like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
Yes, I hear the voices around me whispering of my plight-
fears rise up on every side!
Isolation, rejection, fear surround me and conspire to overwhelm me.
Still, I trust in You, O Beloved, I repeat, “You are my Life.”
My life is in your hands; deliver me from the fears with separate me!
Let your face shine on me; hold me in your steadfast love!
Let me know your forgiveness, O Love, for I call upon You;
let my fears be case out, let them be transformed.
Let me speak only truth, Beloved, that I might live with integrity,
offering my work and praise to You.
O, how abundant is your goodness,
which is ever-present to those who reverence You,
and available to all who make you Heart their hoe, openly for all to see!
Like a mother hen, You shelter them from temptations of the world;
You hold then safe under your wings form the enemy…fear.
Blessed be the eternal Beloved,
who wondrously showered me with steadfast Love
when I was overwhelmed by fear.
I had cried out, “Where are You? Have You left me forever?”
You heard my fear-filled please and enveloped me in Love.
Listen in the silence, all you saints!
For Wisdom makes her home there.
The Beloved upholds the faith-filled,
those who embrace goodness and walk in the Light.
Those who choose to remain in illusion separate themselves from truth
and know not Love.
Be strong, let your heart take courage and be encouraged,
all you who would serve with Love in the Oneness of Light.
Nan C. Merrill Psalms for Praying
Reflection:
There are two unique phrases in Psalm 31. The first is in verse 5 “Into your hands I commit my spirit” which Christians recognize as Jesus’ last words on the cross from the Gospel of Luke (23:46). “But in Hebrew and in the context of the psalm the sentence means something like “I entrust my life to your sovereign disposition”; it is an existential confession of ultimate helplessness, dependence, and trust, a way of saying in the midst of affliction, “It is up to you, God, what becomes of me, and I am willing to have it so.” The other unique sentence is a different way of saying the same. “My time is in your hand” (v. 15) does not mean it depends on God how long I live, but my destiny (the occasions when things happen that determine my life) is in the hand of God.” (Mays p. 144). Destiny is a difficult word to completely define, so I googled it. Most definitions have it as events that happen within a life time now or future, irresistible, fate, lot, predetermined, inevitable, beyond human power or control.
‘Beyond my control’ is the phrase that is sticking with me. The psalmist is beyond their ability to cope and really can’t control what is happening to them anyway, so they let go and let God. That is easier said than done most of the time. Both mindfulness practices and contemplative prayer practices encourage letting go of what we cannot control. In my own spiritual life, I contemplate what is in my control or ability to make positive change and what is outside of my abilities. And I try not to push my agenda or worry about those things I cannot control. It’s hard and it takes practice. A helpful guide/prayer is the serenity prayer used in twelve step programs, which goes like this, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
My other go-to thought practice when things are difficult, is to ask, who is God? Not where is God, but who is God? Like the psalmist, I believe that God is present everywhere always. Sometimes, what is lacking is my awareness of God’s presence. I have experienced times when it feels like God is absent or far away that I can’t always explain. But even in my doubt, when I ask myself who is God, I remind myself of God’s steadfast love, compassion, and mercy. And I remind myself that in life and in death, I belong to God. I cannot be separated from Love. This sustains belief sustains me. And, when I’m being my best self, I remember to be loving, compassionate, and merciful to my neighbors, especially those in need. When I can do something, I do it. And when I can’t, I simply offer my love and presence.
Check out other psalm reflections in the links below or find more of my writing published in Presbyterian Outlook or listen to my experiments in podcasting on the Period Pastor Podcast. Follow me @periodpastor
I began writing Psalm reflections during Lent of 2020. Shortly after, we decided to close the church building, work from home, and worship via zoom. Many churches use the Revised Common Lectionary (RLC) that rotates scripture on a three-year cycle (A, B, and C). Starting in Advent 2019, the church decided to worship with the texts from Year D, which is still not circulated as are years A, B, and C. Year D was created with the goal of including scriptures that were left out or not used as frequently as others. While we were using Psalms in year D, most other lectionary followers were using Year A. In Advent of 2020 we rejoined those who use the lectionary in year B. Advent of 2021 year C. When we returned to in person worship, we took the psalm reflections out of the order of worship. I continued to write them for the blog. Advent of 2022 year A. I left church work in July of 2023 but continued the practice of writing psalm reflections. Advent of 2023 year B.
I use the Vanderbilt Divinity Library’s resource for lectionary readings to make text selections.
1st Sunday in Advent Psalm 25, 2nd Sunday in Advent instead of a Psalm the lectionary gives Luke 1:68-79, 3rd Sunday in Advent instead of a Psalm the lectionary gives Isaiah 12:2-6, 4th Sunday in Advent Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, 1st Sunday after Christmas, Psalm 148, New Year’s Day Psalm 8, 2nd Sunday after Christmas Psalm 147, Epiphany Psalm 72, 1st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 36, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 19, 4th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 71, 5th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 138, 6th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 1, 7th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 37, Transfiguration Sunday (Sunday before Lent) Psalm 99
Lent: Ash Wednesday Psalm 51, 1st Sunday in Lent Psalm 91, 2nd Sunday in Lent Psalm 27, 3rd Sunday in Lent Psalm 63, 4th Sunday in Lent Psalm 32, 5th Sunday in Lent Psalm 126, 6th Sunday in Lent (Palm or Passion Sunday) Psalm 118 or 31
Easter: Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 114, 2nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 150, 3rd Sunday of Easter Psalm 30, 4thSunday of Easter Psalm 23, 5th Sunday of Easter Psalm 148, 6th Sunday of Easter Psalm 67, Ascension Psalm 47 or Psalm 93, 7th Sunday of Easter Psalm 97, Day of Pentecost Psalm 104
Season After Pentecost (Ordinary Time): 1st Sunday after Pentecost (Trinity Sunday) Psalm 8, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 or Psalm 22, 3rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 77 or Psalm 16, 4th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 30 or Psalm 66, 5th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 82 or Psalm 25, 6th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 52 or Psalm 15, 7thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 85 or Psalm 138, 8th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 107 or Psalm 49, 9th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 50 or Psalm 33, 10th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 80 or Psalm 82, 11th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 71or Psalm 103, 12th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 81 or Psalm 112, 13th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 1, 14thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 14 or Psalm 51, 15th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 79 or Psalm 113, 16th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 91 or Psalm 146, 17th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 137 or Psalm 37, 18th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 66 or Psalm 111, 19th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 121, 20th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 65 or Psalm 84, 21st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 32, 22nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 145 or Psalm 98 or Psalm 17, 23rdSunday after Pentecost Psalm 98, 24th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 46.
Sources and notes:
previous reflection:
There are two unique phrases in Psalm 31. The first is in verse 5 “Into your hands I commit my spirit” which Christians recognize as Jesus’ last words on the cross from the Gospel of Luke (23:46). “But in Hebrew and in the context of the psalm the sentence means something like “I entrust my life to your sovereign disposition”; it is an existential confession of ultimate helplessness, dependence, and trust, a way of saying in the midst of affliction, “It is up to you, God, what becomes of me, and I am willing to have it so.” The other unique sentence is a different way of saying the same. “My time is in your hand” (v. 15) does not mean it depends on God how long I live, but my destiny (the occasions when things happen that determine my life) is in the hand of God.” (Mays p. 144). Destiny is a difficult word to completely define, so I googled it. Most definitions have it as events that happen within a life time now or future, irresistible, fate, lot, predetermined, inevitable, beyond human power or control.
One of the ways Urban Dictionary Defines Destiny: “The girl who will steal your heart even when you’re not wanting to give it away. She’ll make you smile all the time and always be there for you when you need her, even after you’ve been a total ass. The girl who has a boyfriend who’s writing this for her to see one day randomly. Wow, that girl is gorgeous. I bet her name is Destiny. by s.a.m.man June 08, 2018″
Perhaps this girl reflects the image of God. Perhaps, God holds our hearts even when we don’t want to give them to God (we would rather let our identity be defined by worthless idols). She’s always there, even after we’ve been a total asses. Wow, that God is known as “the ‘el ’emet (v. 5), the God who can be relied on and believed in because [God] is true to [God’s character] and continues to always be what [God] has shown [God’s character to be].” Mays p. 143
In our living and dying we belong to God, who is know for faithful and steadfast love. “God’s faithfulness and love enable and empower the existence of a people who in turn can be faithful and loving to God and to each other. In our world–full of isolated selves and with “terror all around” (v. 13) — that good news incites a commitment to God and to the church that makes it possible to “be strong… take courage…wait for the LORD” (v. 24).” NIB p. 392
On election day, knowing my vote is already in as I wait for the results, I put my life in God’s steadfast and loving hands, knowing that she will always be there for me. My identity is not wrapped up in the candidate that I voted for or the one that will win (even as I hope they are one in the same). I belong to God. And because God is steadfast and loving, I will strive to be steadfast and loving to my neighbors, especially those who are the most dramatically effected by election results. The work for the common welfare does not end, because God’s work is steadfast and loving.
“Psalm 31 gained a special place in Christian devotion and liturgy when Jesus in Luke’s Gospel used verse 5 as the final prayer of his life: “Into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Like Psalms 22 and 69, Psalm 31 became a kind of commentary on the passion of Jesus; Christians read in its description of affliction a witness to the suffering he endured (read the comment on Psalm 22). In liturgical tradition it is inseparably connected to the celebration of Holy Week; currently, Psalm 31:9-16 is the psalm selection for Passion Sunday in all three years of the lectionary cycle.” Mays p. 142 None of these psalms appear in Year D’s Holy Week selections. In year D this Psalm appears around the beginning of November with Nahum 1:9-15 or Ezekiel 20:32-49 Psalm 31: (1-5) 6-14 (15-16) 17-24 or 40: (1-11) 12-17; Luke 23:26-32; Romans 15:1-3, 14-33. The “or”s are choices for texts and the (x-x) are also choices to include or not certain verses in the readings.
“The psalm ends with a call to the faithful hasidim to love and rely on the LORD in need (vv. 23-24). The deliverance of the one who prays this prayer is a revelation of the way God deals with those who rely on him and the basis for summing them to a life of enduring trust.” Mays p. 143
“the confidence of the prayer is not in any respect a virtue of the one who prays. It is, rather, a possibility that is based on the character of the one to how the prayer is made. The psalm speaks to the LORD as the ‘el ’emet (v. 5), the God who can be relied on and believed in because he is true to himself and continues to always be what he has shown himself.” Mays p. 143
2 unique phrases: “Into your hands I commit my spirit” Vs. 5 “Because the sentence in Luke’s Gospel was the dying word of Jesus and because of similar words of the dying Stephan (Acts 7:59), it has been used by believers across the ages as the prayer with which to take leave of this life in faith…. But in Hebrew and in the context of the psalm the sentence means something like “I entrust my life to your sovereign disposition”; it is an existential confession of ultimate helplessness, dependence, and trust, a way of saying in the midst of affliction, “It is up to you, God, what becomes of me, and I am willing to have it so.” The other unique sentence is a different way of saying the same. “My time is in your hand” (v. 15) does not mean it depends on God how long I live, but my destiny (the occasions when things happen that determine my life) is in the hand of God. These are sentences that belong to living as well as dying. Indeed, it is a question whether they can be said at the end in authenticity unless they have been our confession all along the way.” Mays p. 144
“even through failure and death the providence of the faithful God determines the “times” of his servants. And they encourage and exhort us through the words of verses 23-24 to find love, strength, and courage in life and death through making their commitment of trust.” Mays p. 145
“To entrust our lives and futures to God, to belong to God in living and dying means ultimately that we derive our identity not from the worthless idols of our culture but form the character of God, to whom we entrust ourselves. The two fundamental characteristics of God that are emphasized in Psalm 31 are God’s faithfulness (v. 5) and God’s steadfast love (vv. 7, 16, 21), and the psalmist’s closing admonition addressed the people of God as God’s steadfastly loved (or loving) ones and “the faithful” (v. 23). God’s faithfulness and love enable and empower the existence of a people who in turn can be faithful and loving to God and to each other. In our world–full of isolated selves and with “terror all around” (v. 13) — that good news incites a commitment to God and to the church that makes it possible to “be strong… take courage…wait for the LORD” (v. 24).” NIB p. 392
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Brueggemann, Walter. 2014. From Whom No Secrets Are Hid: Introducing the Psalms. Edited by Brent A. Strawn. 1st ed. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
Brueggemann, Walter. Davis Hanskins, Editor. 2022. Our Hearts Wait: Worshiping Through Praise and Lament in the Psalms Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville KY.
Brueggemann, Walter. (2002). Spirituality of the psalms. Augsburg Pub. House.
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Spong, M. (Ed.). (2020). The words of her mouth: Psalms for the struggle. Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press.
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OTL Weiser, Artur. 1998. Old Testament Library: Psalms. Translated by Herbert Hartwell. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Manchester University Press.
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