For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
Blessed the one concerned for the poor;
on a day of misfortune, the Lord delivers him.
The Lord keeps and preserves him,
makes him blessed in the land,
and does not betray him to his enemies.
The Lord sustains him on his sickbed,
you turn down his bedding whenever he is ill.
II
Even I have said, “Lord, take note of me;
heal me, although I have sinned against you.
My enemies say bad things against me:
‘When will he die and his name be forgotten?’
When someone comes to visit me, he speaks without sincerity.
His heart stores up malice;
when he leaves, he gossips.
All those who hate me whisper together against me;
they imagine the worst about me:
‘He has had ruin poured over him;
that one lying down will never rise again.’
Even my trusted friend,
who ate my bread,
has raised his heel against me.”
III
“But you, Lord, take note of me to raise me up
that I may repay them.”
By this I will know you are pleased with me,
that my enemy no longer shouts in triumph over me.
In my integrity may you support me
and let me stand in your presence forever.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from all eternity and forever.
Amen. Amen.
Psalms 41:1-14
Today I hear a psalmist who is grateful for some kind of healing or grace. He recalls asking God, “heal me, although I have sinned against you.” This is a healthy perspective to have in mind when asking God for help. Of course, we know that as human beings, we are weak to the temptation to sin from time to time and should acknowledge our sinfulness when talking to God.
In this case, it also seems that he is imagining the way others talked about him during his illness. Certainly, in Biblical times, many people believed that illness was punishment from God for some kind of serious sin, so he naturally imagined that was happening. “All those who hate me whisper together against me; they imagine the worst about me.”
Then again, sometimes we imagine that others are whispering about us when they really aren’t. It is so easy to get worried and upset about perceived slights that aren’t even happening. How many disputes have been blown out of proportion in this way?
Do you know what can reduce the number of these unnecessary hurt feelings? …positive communication. Just going out of our way to regularly smile and say hello to colleagues can improve an office environment. Taking every opportunity to tell family members that we love them can improve our home lives, immensely.
When we hear about someone who is struggling with an illness or loss, do we make the effort to reach out in support? When we see someone struggling to carry something heavy or dropping things or stumbling, do we offer help? When someone is lashing out in anger, do we choose kindness in response, instead of trying to return the anger?
Let’s try to be God’s light in the world. Then we can pray, “In my integrity may you support me and let me stand in your presence forever.”