Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“But you, O Lord, do not be far away! ”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, September 21, 2022
by Daniel D. Maurer, Clergy Stuff
Lions and dogs. Swords and the horns of wild oxen. Certainly this inventory would not translate well into a top-ten list of modern day threats!
However, everyone has at times experienced anxiety — and for many, tragedy. The threats to our personal existence and health are real. Added today the more existential threats to all of humanity like global climate change, nuclear proliferation, and the ramifications of overpopulation, it’s not easy to dispel all the worries we face.
The Psalmist’s words may have fit well into that cultural context. I’m sure it wasn’t very fun to be gored by a wild ox. Although we don’t suffer from threats like that, the fragility of life is still a reality.
May we continue to see that God provides respite for us. God is not far away, even in the midst of great stress and difficulty. We can always turn to God for help.
Ever-present One, show me that you are always near. Amen.
