Welcome to this Lectio Divina on Psalm 74.
As we arrive at this psalm I invite you to come to stillness,
To allow yourself to arrive here into the welcome of the beloved,
Into being seen and found and loved.
Noticing how you arrive into this space,
Letting go of anything that wants to fall away and welcoming anything that needs tending to within you and maybe through these words receiving what you need as way of tender loving care from the beloved.
I'm going to read the whole psalm once and return to some verses twice more.
On this first reading welcome the words as a balm without attaching to any in particular.
Psalm 74.
O beloved of my heart,
What does it mean that I feel separated from you?
How is it that I fear your anger and condemnation?
I have known your presence in days gone by.
When you counseled me as a guide and a friend,
I remember your holy temple within my heart.
In your mercy direct me once again,
Before fear destroys me and leads me too far astray.
Doubt and anxiety have crept into the inner tabernacle,
Erecting walls as a defense.
My mind dwells on hurts of the past and forces a dim future.
All the beauty and joy of companioning with you is lost in the anger that consumes me.
I become a prisoner in my own being.
I say to myself,
I will subdue these fears,
Even knowing that only your refining fire will root them out.
I do not know my inner self.
How long must I walk alone?
Like many will I fear crying out to the one who knows all hearts.
How long,
O beloved,
Will fear laugh at my folly?
Will it keep me bound forever?
In your mercy direct me once again,
Before fear destroys me and leads me too far astray.
You have companioned us forever,
Working salvation in the midst of our humanity.
You fashion us together,
Even as we seek to destroy one another.
You are the rock as we face the demands within.
You forgive us when we are contrite and nourish our souls in the wilderness.
You are the living water assuaging our thirst,
A comfort in our desert days,
Our barren ways.
Who is like you?
Yours is the day,
Yours also the night.
All suns and galaxies are established by love consciousness.
You created the boundaries of the world.
The seasons belong to you.
When I call upon you,
O beloved,
Pride and arrogance flee,
And your strength upholds me.
You revive my spirit and I live in peace,
For you are with the poor in spirit forever.
I shall always remember your covenant,
As the shadows within rise up to the light.
Love will stand by as these fears are released.
In the silence where we meet,
I shall praise your name.
Come,
O beloved,
Counsel me with love.
In your mercy direct me once again,
Before fear destroys me and leads me too far astray.
O companioning presence,
Make your home in my heart.
I'm going to return now to a few verses from that psalm twice more,
And on this second reading I invite you to notice any words or phrases that capture your attention.
You have companioned us forever,
Working salvation in the midst of our humanity.
You fashion us together,
Even as we seek to destroy one another.
You are the rock as we face the demands within.
You forgive us when we are contrite,
And nourish our souls in the wilderness.
You are the living water assuaging our thirst,
A comfort in our desert days,
Our barren ways.
Who is like you?
Yours is the day,
Yours also the night.
All suns and galaxies are established by love consciousness.
You created the boundaries of the world.
The seasons belong to you.
This final reading is an opportunity to welcome the gift of these words,
To let them bring the nourishment that your soul needs,
To receive them into the deeper places of yourself,
To meet you where they're most needed within.
Notice any ways in which you want to respond to them and to the beloved.
Notice any invitation that they contain.
You have companioned us forever,
Working salvation in the midst of our humanity.
You fashion us together,
Even as we seek to destroy one another.
You are the rock as we face the demands within.
You forgive us when we are contrite,
And nourish our souls in the wilderness.
You are the living water assuaging our thirst,
A comfort in our desert days,
Our barren ways.
Who is like you?
Yours is the day,
Yours also the night.
All suns and galaxies are established by love consciousness.
You created the boundaries of the world.
The seasons belong to you.
May these words come as a gift and bring you what you need at this time.
May you know the love and the goodness of the creator,
The beloved,
God the divine,
Walking with you through the hours,
The moments and the days.
Amen.
