77 I cry out loud to God—
out loud to God so that he can hear me!
2 During the day when I’m in trouble I look for my Lord.
At night my hands are still outstretched and don’t grow numb;
my whole being[a] refuses to be comforted.
11 But I will remember the Lord’s deeds;
yes, I will remember your wondrous acts from times long past.
12 I will meditate on all your works;
I will ponder your deeds.
13 God, your way is holiness!
Who is as great a god as you, God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have demonstrated your strength among all peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people;
redeemed the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw you, God—
the waters saw you and reeled!
Even the deep depths shook!
17 The clouds poured water,
the skies cracked thunder;
your arrows were flying all around!
18 The crash of your thunder was in the swirling storm;
lightning lit up the whole world;
the earth shook and quaked.
19 Your way went straight through the sea;
your pathways went right through the mighty waters.
But your footprints left no trace!
20 You led your people like sheep
under the care of Moses and Aaron.
Reflection
As I reflect on this Psalm it occurs to me that God and the people of God are in the activities of this world together and always have been. We cannot accomplish anything without the inspiration of God, and God cannot accomplish anything until God’s people get on board to make it happen.
Look back at today’s scripture. I do not know exactly how God’s people accomplished the miraculous actions listed here but I believe, as scripture tells us, that humanity played an important role. God alone could not do it; nor could people. It is and always was a metaphorical, spiritual partnership. History and Evolution. The lives of people like Jacob and Joseph. The powerful waters that covered a large portion of the earth and carved out
mountains and separated the oceans. Safe passage into freedom for God’s children. The guidance of leaders such as Moses and Aaron. The growth of a monotheistic civilization evolving into the 21st century.
by Kathleen Stolz
For Pondering and Prayer
As I meditated on this passage the other day while receiving an IV treatment, I recalled finding myself in the hospital a few months ago. I had routinely gone to a doctor’s appointment and ended up unconscious in an ambulance on my way to the ER. I was one very ill person, and a team of doctors, nurses and others spent five days trying to determine the cause as well as the treatment. Since then, I have had several IV treatments to bring me back into balance, and I give thanks for the medical personnel who, with God’s help, have worked together to bring me back to wholeness.
Yes, God has inspired humanity to accomplish amazing things. We are an amazing partnership, aren’t we? God’s creative spirit has been at work before we were on this earth, and I trust that the Spirit will be actively creating until long after we are gone. We cannot know what the future holds but we humans are cogs in the wheels of creation. We are called to listen to the guidance of the Spirit and allow ourselves to be God’s hands, feet, and voice actively creating within the world that God designs.
Pastor Joe invited us to ponder the question “What are you doing here?” in his Sunday message. Think about it. What have you been created to do as a partner with God during your time on earth? We each have unique gifts and talents, shaped by our ancestors for the time in history that we are living.
Prayer: When I am at my wits end, O God, I cry out to You. When I don’t know what to do, I listen for your voice. We live in a world full of hurting people who need to feel your peace. Open my heart and my ears so that I may hear how I can be an agent of healing in this broken world. Amen.
