God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult... Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. ‘Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.’ The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Psalm 46: 1-11)

When we invite and receive God into our life we give away cause for fear. Working with God we can achieve the impossible. This does not mean we will avoid pain. In the eyes of many we may fail. But if truly working with God, we are assured of ultimate success.

Separate from God our goals and fears can be little more than illusions. "For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past," is how another reading for today explains the reality of time. (Psalm 90)

The steadfast love of God extends far beyond the limitations of our experience and perspective. Separate from God our lives are little more than a sigh. Together with God we contribute to and experience a prosperity that transcends these limitations.

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands - O prosper the work of our hands! (Psalm 90: 14-17)

Above is an image of dust particles captured by an electron microscope. Cris Orfescu is an artist who specializes in nanoart. He calls this image Infinity.

May he grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfil all your plans. May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfil all your petitions. (Psalm 20: 4-5)

We are to invite God into our lives. We are to ask, to enquire, to enquire carefully. To enquire is to seek, to discover by asking questions.

To ask questions suggests we are also ready to listen for answers. This is not just a request that is received or not. This is a dialogue.

The dialogue begins when we ask. Without our question God is waiting to respond.

With the loyal you show yourself loyal; with the blameless you show yourself blameless; with the pure you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you show yourself perverse. For you deliver a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. It is you who light my lamp; the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. (Psalm 18: 24-28)

I am neither blameless nor pure. I despair of ever being so. But the psalm's original Hebrew encourages me.

What the translator has chosen to render as loyal can also mean kind. Instead of blameless the reading might be whole or complete or to have integrity. Rather than being pure, the emphasis might be on making a good choice.

It is especially meaningful that the verb barar, translated above as show, can also mean to choose. God makes choices that reflect our choices.

Whatever we choose, the psalmist highlights that what we choose determines what we will find of God.

A God of love, freedom, and creativity will not impose, but our God will respond abundantly to invitation and partnership.

May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. (Psalm 126: 5-6)

God's watchfulness does not preserve us from every harm. We shall weep and even wail.

A great gift of God is our freedom to choose. This freedom is often misused. Evil choices are made. Today many churches remember the choice of King Herod to kill all the baby boys of Bethlehem (Matthew 2).

Some choices - less than evil - will still cause harm and suffering. In choosing not to see nor to hear we often allow pain to persist. In choosing not to act we can become unintentional co-conspirators in evil.

In Hebrew ra and ra'a are the most powerful words for evil. They are derived from the image of breaking a pot.

An evil choice breaks that which is meant to be whole. Evil seeks to divide. Evil seeks to separate us one from another. Evil, ultimately, seeks to separate each of us from our fundamental selves by separating us from God.

The opposite of evil is to make whole, to hold together, and to bind up what has been broken.

In responding to evil - caused by ourselves or others - we have choices. God is ready to inform and empower these choices. We must, however, choose to invite God to join us in making the choice.

If we choose, even in our weeping, to sow the seeds of loving kindness we shall return carrying sheaves of binding wholeness.

Above is Holocaust by Hans Hofmann.

The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfils the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. (Psalm 145: 17-20)

We are promised a personal relationship (nearness or qawrob) with God if we consistently invite God into our lives. The psalmist tells us that our pleasures and desires (far beyond our basic needs) will be fulfilled if we are appropriately astonished and honor this relationship. If we passionately seek after God we are told God will always be with us.

But the wicked - the Hebrew is rasha - will be destroyed. The one who is separated from God - sometimes hostile to God - will be utterly annihilated. The English translation inserts the pronoun "he" as the source of destruction. The Hebrew strikes me as more ambiguous.

Just as we must invite God into our lives to enjoy the benefits of that relationship, we may also choose to stand apart from God. We may even choose to be hostile to God. The outcome of such a choice is to be outside the life of God and, therefore, outside that which exists in the past, now, and in the future.

Today many churches recall the life of John, "the one whom Jesus loved." More information on Saint John is available at newadvent.org.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever. (Psalm 118: 24-29)

The name of God - Yahovah in Hebrew - is open to many translations. The One Who Exists in the Past, Now, and in the Future is a good translation. The One Who is Present is also accurate.

In Exodus 3:14 when Moses asked God for his name, he was told Hyah-Asher-Hyah or I AM WHO I AM. This is sometimes translated as I Am Who (or what) I Choose. Moses was told to tell pharoah simply that I AM had sent him.

The predominance of the present tense is meaningful. God is with us today. This is the day that the Lord has made. Attend to God today. Be with God now. Embrace the present. Advance the intention of God and your fundamental purpose here and now.

Today many Jews, especially in the United States, observe the first full day of Hannakuh. More information on this festival is available at Torah.org. Many churches remember St. Stephen on this day.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98: 4-9)

Christians believe that God is with us today. God came to stay in the teachings and paradoxical power of Jesus. God is alive in the world - working through us - to nurture the blessings of righteousness and equity.

Righteousness is tsedeq. This is restoration of our original purpose and potential. Equity is meyshar. This is the straight, level, and pleasing path. Through the judgment of God we may find our true selves and most fulfilling life.

Through the life and teachings of Jesus we are given a guide and friend who can bring us home.

Above is Madonna of the Village by Marc Chagall.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance; they exult in your name all day long, and extol your righteousness. (Psalm 89: 14-16)

In many translations "festal shout" is "joyful sound." The original Hebrew is teruah.

Yom Teruah is the first of the ten days of the Jewish New Year. It features shouting, singing, and - especially - the sound of the ram's horn or shofar.

The festival begins with three blasts of the shofar: The Tekiah one long blast with a clear tone; the Shevarim: a "broken," sighing sound of three short calls; and the Teruah or "alarm," a rapid series of nine or more very short notes.

Then those assembled say aloud and loudly:

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who makes us holy with teaching and calls us to hear the sound of the shofar.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.

Tonight many Christians begin to celebrate twelve days of Christmas. Happy are we who know the festal shout. May we be full of joy, thanksgiving and praise. May we also know the light of the Lord's countenance.

Above is a detail from the mural Our Hope for Years to Come by David Hetland.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. He established them for ever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. (Psalm 148: 1-6)

Most of my prayers are requests. A few are prayers of thanksgiving.

In fear, or anger, or neediness, or hurt I turn to God seeking protection, or healing, or vindication, or even vengeance.

What if my requests were more often for inspiration? What if I more often asked for the ability to love rather than to receive the benefit of love?

How would my life - and the life of others - be changed if I more often chose the path of praise?

How would a constant attitude of praise impact my role as a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a friend, a neighbor, an employer, and a trusted advisor?

Is it time to find out?

Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150: 3-6)

Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and for evermore. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. (Psalm 113: 1-4)

We are to be unrestrained in our love, thanksgiving, and praise for God. We are to love, give thanks and praise as if we have lost our senses. The verb halal - translated here as praise - in other contexts can be translated as to be insane. Other meanings include boast, glory, and celebrate.

Halal can also be rendered as "flash forth light." When we praise God we reflect the radiance of God. We ask, "Restore us, Oh God, let your face shine, that we may be saved" (Psalm 80). We are restored when we turn ourselves to God. In this turning we can receive and reflect the love of God.

Just as the moon brings its soft and encouraging light to a darkened world, we can - through the sacrament of praise - become agents of God's love.

Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (Psalm 33: 20-22)

The psalms instruct that we are to shout for joy, sing praises, and be so filled with gratitude and happiness that others may think us insane.

The implication of the language is that joy is the battle cry of the faithful.

Full of joy we wait, trust, and ask for God's love and help.

Above is Dance by Henri Matisse.

Today many churches recall the life and martyrdom of St. Thomas. These meditations have been dedicated to this saint. Many writings attributed to Thomas, sometimes called Didymus, are available at Early Christian Writings. Below is a medieval series depicting the ministry of Thomas in the East.

Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! For great is his steadfast love towards us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 117)

Listening is important. We are also encouraged to remember. Seeking to understand is constructive. Waiting and hoping is often the right decision.

But while we wait and while we listen we should also offer thanks and praise. Even - especially - in the midst of struggle we should praise God.

If thanksgiving is our password, praise is our user name. Together they allow us to enter into the God's purpose.

Power belongs to God, and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work. (Psalm 62: 11-12)

Do good and be rewarded. Be bad and be punished. This is the simple symmetry that we often read into scripture.

Our choices clearly have consequences. We are generally repaid as we invest. If we plant hate we harvest hate. If we plant love we harvest love.

But in God's economy the exchange of value is of a different character. The word translated above as "repay" is the Hebrew shalam. Given the common notions of our worldly economy we are apt to misunderstand how God repays.

Shalam means to complete, make whole, make good, to restore, to cause peace. God will - if we allow it - transform our bad choices into glorious outcomes.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’ (Psalm 29: 3-9)

Yet we often do not hear.

Or is it we hear but do not understand? Might we sometimes understand but choose to ignore?

May I choose to listen. May I open my mind to truly hear. May I seek to fully understand.

The image above is from Robert Motherwell's "Three Poems by Octavio Paz."

The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. (Psalm 138: 8)

God has a purpose for each of us.

The Hebrew translated above as purpose is a preposition: beh-ad. A preposition tells us about the character of the related verb. The verb is gamar, fulfill, or accomplish, complete, or achieve.

Beh-ad suggests the action takes place behind, through, round about, or on behalf of. God has a purpose. God seeks to achieve purpose through us.

Another rendering: The One Who Exists will be completed through me; your goodness and kindness is everlasting.

If we have ears, let us hear.

You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. (Psalm 51: 6-9)

We are creatures of many parts. We may choose many identities.

There is an innermost reality - a fundamental nature - that can be lost in the confusion.

Our happiness and effectiveness depend on our ability to find and keep faith with that fundamental nature.

In some churches today is an Ember Day committed to prayer and fasting. Such a day is set aside for reclaiming our fundamental selves.

This is a day for listening to our secret heart, rediscovering our inner being, and experiencing the joy and gladness of wholeness.

"Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me; to those who go the right way I will show the salvation of God." (Psalm 50: 23)

If we look and listen we will find the right way. The right way brings liberation, fulfillment, and wholeness. In return we are only to give thanks.

God does not need our thanks. But we need to give thanks. Thanksgiving is our password to the right way. If we forget the password we cannot enter.

Above is the Joy of Living by Henri Matisse.

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps. (Psalm 85: 8-13)

What does salvation look like?

It is a time and place where checed and emeth - love and firmness - are wrapped together.

It is a time and place where tsedeq and shalom kiss: our original selves are made whole and complete.

It is a time and place where the firmness of the earth embraces the ethereal nature of God. Emeth and tsedeq are joined and become as one.

It is a time and place that is at hand, nigh, near, approaching, even present. If only we can hear.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. (Psalm 34: 4-8)

We should seek and inquire after God. We should look for, listen to, and consider the One Who Exists. We should summon, invite, and call for help.

We should taste and see - ta'am and ra'ah - perceive, learn about, consider, consume all we can regarding that which exists in the past, now, and in the future.

Seek diligently - attentively and actively expect - invite openly.

Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not cast us off forever! Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? For we sink down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up, come to our help. Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love. (Psalm 44: 23-26)

Even at our best we tend toward distraction. Linguists estimate we hear only 60 to 70 percent of what another says to us. When we are afraid we comprehend even less.

The partnership, the opportunity to co-create, the covenant that God has promised is always at work. God does not sleep. God does not depart. We have not been cast off. But often - at the worst possible moment - we cannot hear or see clearly.

In good days we separate ourselves from God in a sense of self-sufficiency. In bad days we separate ourselves from God in doubt and fear, sometimes in guilt, often in pride.

Above is Separation by Arthur David Neri.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98: 4-9)

Any clear, cool, and realistic examination of our life can justify an abundance of fear. A happy child is singing one moment and horribly killed in the next. The private treasures of many lifetimes are lost in a sudden storm. A friend, neighbor, or spouse is murdered or pronounced a murderer. Threats - both intentional and accidental - abound.

Many of us manage these threats by refusing to look or listen. This may be a better strategy than obsession with the threats. But failing to look or listen for threats can also discourage looking and listening for opportunities.

We are called to watch carefully, listen assiduously, see clearly, and hear accurately. In this way we will perceive threats and may be able to act upon them. But more importantly this acute attentiveness will expose opportunities, encourage creativity, and enable us to recognize the beauty and goodness that is also all about us.

Courage does not deny the threat. Courage is a choice to live abundantly in the shadow of fear. Music - and especially making music - can be an amazing tool for confronting our fear and claiming our joy. Singing or playing an instrument, especially in ensemble, pulls us beyond a preoccupation with self and toward a beauty beyond ourselves.

Listen to a courageous piece of music, the Concerto for Organ in G Major by C.P.E. Bach. Less heroic but no less courageous is the aria Et Incarnatus Est (And it is the Incarnation) from Mozart's Mass in C Minor. Both are courtesy of www.carolinaclassical.com.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. (Psalm 42: 11, also repeated in other verses)

Much of scripture consists of narrative or exposition. In contrast most of the psalms are one-sided dialogues. We hear the psalmist exulting or complaining and almost always asking.

Here is an internal dialogue. The psalmist stands on the boundary of trusting and doubting. He wants to - in a way, already does - trust fully. But he is also aware of disquiet and doubt.

Confessing, recalling, and rejoicing help resolve the doubt. Articulating fear and anger can help as well. We look and listen for God. We talk with God. Finally, we may walk with God... at least a little ways.

O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling. (Psalm 43: 2)

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord. (Psalm 31: 24)

I am waiting. The Hebrew is yachal which is also translated as hoping. This is not a leisurely wait. It is active, attentive, and expectant. I am watching for the right time and right place.

I am waiting for the One Who Exists, the One Who is Becoming, that which is arising, that which is appearing, the unfolding of ultimate reality. This is a proper noun that is also very much a verb.

I ask for strength. May my heart, mind, inner being, soul be strong in watching and waiting. When the right moment emerges may I be courageous in my choosing.

Above is Running Elegy III by Robert Motherwell.

Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices. Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil. (Psalm 37: 1-8)

Do not worry, do not become angry, literally do not burn because of the wicked. There are more than a dozen Hebrew words for wicked. In Psalm 37 we read of ra'a and rahshah.

There is an implication that to be wicked is to be broken. The image is of being shattered in many pieces. The wicked seek to break and divide. The wicked are trapped in their own brokeness and are consumed by evil plots - mezimmaw - to shatter the wholeness of others. The psalmist promises that "their sword will enter their own heart."

In love we are called to bind up what is broken. We are empowered to do this by claiming our wholeness with God.

I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your ordinances before me. I cling to your decrees, O Lord; let me not be put to shame. I run the way of your commandments, for you enlarge my understanding. Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. (Psalm 119: 30-34)

The Hebrew might also be understood as:

I have chosen the path of trusting. I set the examples of your justice before me. I follow closely your evidence, One Who Exists, do not let me be confused. I run quickly on the path to which you have directed me, for you have increased all that I am. Teach me, One Who Exists, the unfolding of your intention, I shall watch faithfully for the consequences. Give me discernment that I may watch faithfully for your purpose and protect it with all that I am.

Listening is hard. Understanding is harder. Doing is the real challenge.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. (Psalm 36: 7-9)

I enjoy night time walks, mostly looking up at the sweep of stars.

There is a path: through the meadow to the windmill, sharp left down the hill, through the fencerow to the road, follow the rock wall, stay in the middle of the road to avoid the puddles.

I do not deviate from the path, except occasionally along the last quarter mile. From this stretch of path I can see the lights of our house. Because of the light I can explore where there is no path and still arrive safely at my destination.

Above is Number 8 by Mark Rothko.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long... He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. (Psalm 25: 4-5, 9-10)

In humility we are self-critical, grounded, open, and vulnerable. We recognize our dependence on others and on forces beyond our control. In humility we cherish our relationships and we listen very carefully.

In humility we are willing to wait. In humility we listen carefully and are open to teaching. When we are open to being taught, God can show us the preferred path. We are ready to learn.

There are many possible paths. The best teacher leads the way to a mature choice among the possibilities. We will know that our choice is well-made when the path we choose unfolds into love and faithfulness.

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps. (Psalm 85: 10-13)

The universe I experience is one where freedom is fundamental. I perceive a God that purposefully creates a universe where choice and randomness, intention and accident constantly unfold.

There are good and bad choices. When we choose badly trouble follows. Even when we choose wisely trouble may unfold through accident or the bad choice of others. We are never so wise as to anticipate every possibility. But there is a preferred path. There is an underlying structure that over the long-term favors certain tendencies.

Our choices are most coherent with this path when they are informed by love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace. When we are animated by these attitudes we are more likely to make good progress on the path.

The Lord answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your plans. May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. (Psalm 20: 1-5)

We are to trust in God. Is trusting the means to victory? The psalms often read that way.

In my experience trust in God is an end, not a means. Being able to give up my pride, desire for control, especially my fear and to have confidence in the love of God is a great struggle. Achieving this trust - even momentarily - is a great victory.

The Hebrew for trust, batach, can also mean to be secure and to be bold. When I can bring myself to trust in God I may also feel more secure and act with greater boldness. This attitude and intention may produce other derived victories.

In classical warfare the capture of an enemy's capital was often the decisive battle: take the center of control and other resistance would collapse. Paradoxically, the greatest victory may result from giving up control.

Above is Calculated Victory by Shawn McNulty.

Protect me, O Lord, for in you I take refuge. (Psalm 16:1)

Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit. (Psalm 17:1)

My God, My God why have you forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1)

The tone grows more desperate. In the first psalm assigned for today the threats are at a distance. In the second the enemies are at hand. In the last, many will hear the cry of Jesus on the cross.

In each the psalmist is watching expectantly. In the first psalm joy and pleasure are predicted. In the second personal enemies will be overthrown. In the third the poor will be fed and God will be worshiped.

What do we seek? What do we want? What do we expect?

In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens, and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub, and flew; he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering around him, his canopy thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him there broke through his clouds hailstones and coals of fire... He reached down from on high, he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters. (Psalm 18: 6-16)

Here is the kind of divine intervention that we really want in answer to our prayers. We want the earth to reel and rock. We want God to make right what we think is wrong. We want God to save us from danger - often a danger to which we have contributed our own fair share.

I have experienced a kind of smoke, fire, glowing coals, and hailstones. God - the One Who Exists in the Past, Now, and in the Future - has needed to be very dramatic to get my full attention. More than once God has drawn me out of mighty waters.

But in my case God has directed this awesome power at shaping my intention, directing my will, and giving me courage. God has often offered more than I would accept.