Lord, do not hide from me! (Psalm 55)
Meditation 0n Psalm 55Great Redeeming God of grace and goodness. Hear my prayer and do not hide from me. I plea for YOUR mercy.As I look upon the struggles and the oppression of this time, the noise of the ungodly and wicked, seems very loud and they seem to be dropping trouble from the sky upon us. The darkness of the dark lord seems growing stronger and stronger. Lord have mercy.My heart is weary and worn out. I find myself in fear and anxiety. I feel overwhelmed. I just want to fly away from it all. To find some rest the the rushing thoughts of my mind. I want to find some safe isolated place and hurry to hide there as a shelter in the storm.Destroy those lies which divide and bring strife. Take from power those in our culture and in the world who seem focused only doing wrong, causing trouble to the innocent, bringing ruin, oppressing, and lying. Allow the public square not be a place of manipulation and falsehood but of honest exchange of ideas.The sad thing is that such things do not come just from strangers but those closest to us. Those within the church as well as those without are filled with the spirit of deception and abuse. There does not seem to be any safe place for evil seems to have found a home even among the community of faith.I call upon YOU living LORD and resurrected Savior. YOU must save me. Without YOU I have no hope. Evening and morning I cry out to YOU and hope YOU will hear my voice. YOU must redeem my soul or I will fall and fail. LORD hear my cry to rescue me, revive me, and restore me. Thy kingdom come.Help me when I feel most betrayed. Help me when people speak words of support but plan deeds of destruction.Help me to remember now LORD to cast my burden upon YOU and not to try to carry it on my own. Give me strength. Do not allow me to fall. Help me trust YOU during the darkest times.Lord, convert or cripple those who desire to bring death, destruction, despair and deceit. Awaken these who are consumed by a selfish spirit and grant them a true and real repentance or real consequences that will hinder their power to do harm. Great God of mercy and justice, now act for we need YOU.LORD, my sins are great and my transgressions without number, I need YOU to give to me a deeper and deeper repentance. Bring to me a deeper faith. Convict me of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Allow me to have a good and godly fear of YOU. Help me know that I am living in YOUR presence always. Allow me to cling to YOUR mercy found in YOUR sacrifice on the cross and resurrection while not denying the serious reality of my lack of love. LORD revive me. Amen