Psalm 31:1-5, 15-18 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 31:1-5, 15-18 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me.
Verse 2Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.
Verse 3You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake lead me and guide me,
Verse 4take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge.
Verse 5Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Verse 15My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
Verse 16Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.
Verse 17Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord, for I call on you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.
Verse 18Let the lying lips be stilled that speak insolently against the righteous with pride and contempt.
Devotion
God is a fortress, solid and secure. Manipulators are slippery, causing one to fall. As parents, grandparents and church leaders have we overlooked the schemers operating in our lives, in our childrens' lives, those we have been charged to protect? Have we noticed how many psalms talk of schemers, ambushers and treacherous connivers? In many ways we can find ourselves at the mercy of the clever scammer, bully, molester, Internet pornographer, defrauder, or abuser. Luther wrote A Simple Way to Pray having us pray "...God and Father, thou knowest that the world ...employs tricks and frauds, carries on its many intrigues and strange plots, takes counsel, whispers, bolsters and fortifies itself, threatens and blusters, and proceeds with all evil will against thy name, thy Word, thy kingdom, and thy children to destroy them." In our vulnerability, God is our deliverer from entrapment, from shame and from lying lips. (See www.parentsarise.org )
Prayer
You are our Refuge, O God. In our naiveté and need, help us to see through the lies coming at us and show us how to equip our offspring for the devious plots of those who would take advantage of them and perhaps devastate their lives. In Christ's name, Amen.