Psalm 37 (38)
A psalm by David; for remembrance concerning the Sabbath.

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your wrath,
Nor chasten me in Your anger.
For your arrows are fixed in me,
And Your hand rests on me;
There is no healing in my flesh
because of your wrath;
There is no peace in my bones because
Of my sins.
For my transgressions rise up over my
Head;
Like a heavy burden they are heavy on
Me.
My wounds grow foul and fester
Because of my folly.
I suffer misery, and I am utterly bowed
Down;
I go all the day long with a sad face.
For my loins are filled with mockeries,
And there is no healing in my flesh.
I am afflicted and greatly humbled;
I roar because of the groaning of my
heart.
O Lord, all my desire is before You.
And my groaning is not hidden from
You.
My heart is troubled; my strength fails
Me;
And the light of my eyes, even this is
Not with me.
My friends and neighbors draw near
And stand against me,
And my ear of kin stand far off;
And those who seek my soul use
Violence,
And those who seek evil for me speak
Folly;
And they meditate on deceit all the
Day long.
But I like a deaf man do not hear,
And I am like a mute who does not
Open his mouth.
I am like a man who does not hear,
And who has no reproofs in his mouth.
For in You, O Lord, I hope;
You will hear, O Lord my God.
For I said, “Let not my enemies rejoice
Over me,
For when my foot was shaken, they
Boasted against me.”
For I am ready for wounds,
And my pain is continually with me.
For I will declare my transgression,
And I will be anxious about my sin.
But my enemies live, and are become
Stronger than I;
And those who hate me unjustly are multiplied;
Those who repaid me evil for good
Slandered me, because I pursue
Righteousness;
And they threw away my love as
Though it were a stinking corpse.
Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, do not depart from me;
Give heed to help me,
O Lord of my salvation.

Commentary

Ps 37 shows the great love of Christ for mankind in His sufferings and death on the cross, especially v. 18: For I am ready for wounds, and my pain is continually with me.
And although he was not a sinner, he prays as though he were one. He takes the place of sinners and intercedes for their salvation.

Comments

We just saw a man on the road holding up a sign that called a member of our government “the b word,” as my child said. I had to explain to my kids why someone would write that and show that for all to see. And I had to breathe deeply.

My friend Michele reminded me of the serenity prayer.

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

There is so much we cannot change. But are we totally helpless? No, we have the power to speak with authority, especially to our children. The Devil is a liar, and we have to speak the truth. Our children have worth, have gifts that the world needs. Our children belong. They are here for a purpose. They are good people, and we are so blessed to know them. My neighbor reminded me of that when I was particularly frustrated with mine.

When one child disrespects another, we get to speak truth with authority. No, you are precious. You are meant to be right here, right now. I love you. You are beautiful and smart and add value just by your presence.

As a teacher, it makes me sad when students within the same school disrespect each other. Don’t you know you are on the same team? Don’t you know that she has the same right to be here as you do? Oh, if you only took the time to get to know her. To know her humor, her dreams and hopes, her likes and dislikes. To know that she is a child of God, just like you.

What would happen if we looked at the world from a different perspective while having the courage to share our own?

Sharing our perspective is important. My students have had to do that recently.
My students have to take the WIDA ACCESS test, which is like four tests in one: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. It’s really hard. For the speaking part, I asked for them to be in the library because I have like 20 kids and my room is just not conducive to them feeling like they have privacy to really speak their mind. I am grateful to the librarian that she opened up her library for our students. I let them find a desk of their choice and just let them speak. Yes, they can plan what they are gonna say, but not script it exactly. They are to speak clearly and give as many details as they can. When in doubt, I tell them “Describe what you see. You can do it.”
“But I am scared it,” the student says.
“That’s okay. That’s normal. Just try your best.”

That’s it. That’s what many of us are called to do. Just describe what you see. I know you are scared. Just try your best.

I don’t know who this is speaking to. I know there have been times when I should have spoken up, but I have just been quiet. Forgive me, God. Not exactly passing the test. Can I in my little corner of the world just describe what I see with love? Can I do it?

As my baby said, when adults are scared, children can sense it. May we be brave for our kid’s sake.

God, please help me be brave. Please teach me. Please guide me. Forgive me for staying quiet. Help me to know when to speak and when to keep the peace.

Please pray for me and my kids. I pray that God gives you wisdom and courage, too.

My friend Kristi is writing a note to her children every day telling them something she appreciates about them. I can do that. I can start with that. What a beautiful idea. Speak love everyday. Write before they even wake up. Let them start the day feeling loved.

Sounds like a good way to start.