A text – Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
85:1 LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
85:2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. Selah
85:8 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.
85:9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
85:10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
85:11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
85:12 The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
85:13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.
A reflection:
For some reason when I read this passage this morning, I heard verb tenses. Verses 1 & 2 are in the past tense – already completed action. Verses 8 & 9 are in present tense – happening now. Verses 10-13 are in future tense – promised action not yet completed.
The psalmist wants us to know that God has been faithful, the people are listening now for God, who is on the threshold of speaking and saving, and that God will create the conditions for all good things to co-exist to bless the world and make it flourish.
God is our past, our present, and our future. Do people believe that anymore? Perhaps they do. The statistics on people, at least in North America, gathering once a week for worship to hear that good news, those statistics point to folks who have largely given up on religion and faith communities in general. But they may not have given up their beliefs, since many still say when asked about it that they are “spiritual.” They are open to God. But they are not necessarily hearing about God regularly.
So those of us who know that God is our past, our present, and our future, it may be up to us to lead by example, to show people with our actual bodies what God’s place is and when God’s time is. How might we do that? It will doubtless be different for each one of us. But embodying our faith quietly and persistently is one way that God’s past, present, and future kingdom breaks into this world. Look people in the eyes, see them as Jesus would have seen them, care for them as God does, and demonstrate that God is our past, our present, and our future.
A prayer:
Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for being our past, our present, and our future. Help us to live your constant love as we walk around in our world today. Show us the places where your past, present, and future love for people needs to be seen today. Help us to embody it. Amen.
Short Dwellings in the Word by Dr. Pat Taylor Ellison 