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Morning Devotion for the Season after Pentecost

August 30, 2023

Invitatory

Lord, open our lips.

And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Reading: Psalm 13

How long, O LORD? will you forget me for ever? *

how long will you hide your face from me?

How long shall I have perplexity in my mind, and grief in my heart, day after day? * how long shall my enemy triumph over me?

Look upon me and answer me, O LORD my God; *

give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;

Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” *

and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.

But I put my trust in your mercy; *

my heart is joyful because of your saving help.

I will sing to the LORD, for he has dealt with me richly; *

I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.

Meditation – Peter Vanderveen

Few people would know this, but fairly regularly whoever is assigned the task of writing the meditation for a given day can be heard complaining about the appointed texts. They’re either too long, too obscure, too complex, or, most difficult of all, they just don’t conform to the kind of message that one expects in a meditation – something edifying or uplifting. Scripture just doesn’t function well as a modern day self-help book.

In one of my favorite books on the Psalms – a theological anthropology* – Psalm 13 is highlighted as a particularly illustrative example of the “complaining human being.” Complaining is one of our most common traits; we can complain about almost anything at almost any time. But rarely do we think about the fact that we are the only creature who is capable of complaining. Other animals can give warning; they can call out for company (as best as we can discern); they can sing. But I’ve never heard anyone describe any witnessable action of any other animal as a case of their complaining. This act defines us.

Most of the time when we complain we’re not looking to rectify some situation. Most complaints aren’t directly addressed to someone we expect will fix the problems we face. Complaints are more existential; they’re an expression of our own frustration or our being at odds with something. They’re easy to share with anyone – because what we really want is someone’s ear. We’d like to be heard. We’d like someone to hear us. And if someone, hearing us, expresses the slightest empathy, our displacement doesn’t seem so severe. Someone allows space for our complaint, and that alone makes us feel better.

The primary cry of Psalm 13 isn’t for the author’s foes to be vanquished – though that, of course, would be welcomed. More important, however, is the author’s need simply for God to hear him; for his complaint not to fall on deaf ears. What is key in the Psalms is that whenever the complaint is made, when it is spoken to God, it already contains the element of trust that God is, in fact, listening, and that God will, in fact, respond. And this alone is enough. This allows us not to feel as alone – which transforms the complaint into rejoicing. And this, as Psalm 13 demonstrates, is a principal reason and the value of prayer.

Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

         as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

         but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

         forever and ever. Amen.

*Arguing With God: Bernd Janowski