MEDITATE POST 3

Over the next several posts, I am going to share some thoughts from Marva Dawn in her book I’m Lonely, Lord, How Long: Meditations on the Psalms.
Loneliness is a common experience in retirement.

This will be my way of using the acrostic MEDITATE:

Memorize, Emphasize, Define, Illustrate, Think about, Apply, Tell about, Enjoy God with 

KEYWORDS

ENEMY TRIUMPH

“Whether persons, situations, or attitudes, our enemies immobilize us. We are unable to open to feelings because previous risks have brought too much pain. How long, Lord, must we be helpless in the face of these enemies?”

BUT

“‘But I trust in your unfailing love.’ After all the discouraged ‘how long?’ questions, suddenly the psalmist is writing words of hope and victory. Is such a change really possible? On what basis can we make such a turn away from the question ‘how long?’ and its agonies?”

UNFAILING LOVE

“Chesedh describes the steadfast, covenant love of the Lord, the amazing grace of her infinite kindness and compassion toward us, His people. The unfailing, steadfastness of chesedh tells us for sure that God has not forgotten us, not for a moment, nor will He ever. The nature of chesedh is that God will never withdraw His support from us. It may seem so when He does not grant us what we ask or take away our interminable sorrow but His infinite wisdom and love are always present with us and on behalf of us.”