Safety
/I keep the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
-Psalm 16: 8-9
Psalm 16 expresses words of profound hope and trust. “Because I trust in God,” the psalmist says, “not only is my heart glad, and not only does my soul rejoice, but my body also rests secure.” This verse always reminds me of the last verse from Psalm 4, which said at the compline service at night:
I like down in bed and sleep comes at once,
for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Take a moment to consider: When does your body rest secure? When do you feel that you dwell in safety? These are radical questions to consider in a world so fraught with all kinds of dangers. Living in our times is almost defined by living in a constant state of anxiety and fear, but yet, the eternal message of the gospel is not to be afraid. “Trust in God,” the psalmist calls out to us. In God we rest secure. With God, we dwell in safety.
In our readings this Sunday, we’ll hear more than one example of what it looks like to put our faith in God in front of our own desires or comfort - or even our own safety. But they are also examples of what it looks like to trust God so much that you know you’re safe no matter what. Hope to see you then.
Our readings for this Sunday are HERE. Note that in ordinary time, we are using the readings in “Track 2”