Read
(A psalm by the clan of Korah for the music leader.)
A Prayer for Peace
1Our Lord, you have blessed
your land
and made all go well
for Jacob's descendants.
2You have forgiven the sin
and taken away the guilt
of your people.
3Your fierce anger is no longer
aimed at us.
4Our Lord and our God,
you save us!
Please bring us back home
and don't be angry.
5Will you always be angry
with us and our families?
6Won't you give us fresh life
and let your people be glad
because of you?
7Show us your love
and save us!
8I will listen to you, Lord God,
because you promise peace
to those who are faithful
and no longer foolish.
9You are ready to rescue
everyone who worships you,
so that you will live with us
in all your glory.
10Love and loyalty
will come together;
goodness and peace
will unite.
11Loyalty will sprout
from the ground;
justice will look down
from the sky above.
12Our Lord, you will bless us;
our land will produce
wonderful crops.
13Justice will march in front,
making a path
for you to follow.
Reflect
This is a psalm of lamentation, but it is also one of anticipation and celebration. It’s always so interesting how often all three sentiments can coexist, in both poetry and our daily lives. The psalmist is speaking from a place of dissatisfaction and sorrow. He is homesick and longs to be rescued. Yet, even in this sorrowful state, as he begins to focus on God and the hope he holds for his future, his disposition starts to change too. He praises God for the things he has done, and because he knows God’s character and understands the way his promises work, he is able to praise God for what is to come as well. He knows that rescue is not the only thing on the horizon, but everything else that follows God around: love, goodness, peace, justice, and blessings.
There is so much to learn from this expectant and ever-praising psalmist. He reminds us that it’s okay to grieve and ask God for a change of circumstances – but even in the most sorrowful of situations, God can still be praised. The psalmist also reminds us of the hope we have in Jesus, and that we have been rescued! And as followers of God, who are intimately acquainted with those qualities that define his presence and kingdom, this means that we, too, must become spreaders of love, goodness, peace, justice, and blessings.
Respond
Good Father, thank you for rescuing us and calling us your own. Thank you for your love, goodness, peace, justice, compassion, and grace. Help us to always look to your example as we interact with your creation and introduce people to you through both our words and our actions. Amen.
Larissa Benfey
Larissa is a Toronto based actor and writer who has dabbled in everything from scripts to short stories, and is now setting her sights on novels. Having studied English and history at Tyndale University and Seminary, she loves a good story, but her favorite stories always have happy endings - which is part of why she loves the true story of the Gospel so much.