Thoughts for the Day

Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in faithfulness to you.

I do not sit with the worthless,
nor do I consort with hypocrites;
I hate the company of evildoers,
and will not sit with the wicked.

I wash my hands in innocence,
and go around your altar, O Lord,
singing aloud a song of thanksgiving,
and telling all your wondrous deeds.

O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell,
and the place where your glory abides.
Do not sweep me away with sinners,
nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
 those in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.

But as for me, I walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
My foot stands on level ground;
in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

During Advent we spend time as we know, reflecting on the state of our soul. It's a kind of inward housekeeping experience! In Psalm 25 we see David in his prayer time with Yahweh asking Him to "prove" him and to "test" his "heart and mind". We don't know what has happened, but as with many times in his life he is in desperate need of help, and we see him protesting his innocence before God, reminding him of his faithfulness.

But what does David mean by asking God to "prove" him? If we look at the origin of this word, it seems to come from the kitchen - from baking. Proving is a step in the preparation of bread made using yeast. Dough is pummelled then allowed to rest and rise, often more than once, before baking. During this rest period, yeast ferments the dough and produces gases, which raise the dough. So David is asking Yahweh not just to examine him, but also, we might say, to stir or pummel him to see if his faith and trust in God is secure.

So this Advent let us all shake ourselves up a little. Try take a notebook (paper or electronic) and draw a line down the middle. Head the first side "What God wants" and the other side "What I can do". Ask yourself what God wants of you. Wrestle with the question through the day and jot down any thoughts. Try waiting on God for an answer. By the next morning look at what you've written, and begin to jot down what you can offer God. Are there any changes that can be made in your life, for example, to make the two equations a little more balanced?

Collect (traditional version)

Stir up,
we beseech thee, O Lord,
the wills of thy faithful people;
that they,
plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works,
may of thee be plenteously rewarded:
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen