Psalm 15
1 O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
Who may dwell on your holy hill?
2 Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,
and speak the truth from their heart;
3 who do not slander with their tongue,
and do no evil to their friends,
nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
4 in whose eyes the wicked are despised,
but who honor those who fear the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
5 who do not lend money at interest,
and do not take a bribe against the innocent.
Those who do these things shall never be moved.
Reflection:
This psalm may be short, but it is full of insight into what God desires from us. It seems even in ancient times people needed to be reminded that gossip, lying, and taking advantage of others all displease the Lord. These things truly have no place in the life of a faith community because these actions break down relationships and break hearts. We end up spending so much time dealing with the murmering voices and hurt feelings and walking on egg shells that we have little time to proclaim the gosple, to engage in discipleship, and reach out to the world. We become more focused on ourselves, on the hurt we have caused or will cause, on healing from the damage we have done to each other. According to this psalm, there is no place within God’s presence for those who deliberately harm others. Perhaps this should give us all pause when we consider how we speak about and to one another, how we treat those who are vulnerable, and how we keep our word.
Prayer:
Gracious God, help us be obedient to you through our words and our actions. Help what we say and what we do help to build up your church rather than tear it down. Help us to care for each other even when it is difficult. We know you love us and want what is best for us. Forgive us when we strain against your boundaries and behave selfishly. Forgive us when we hurt others to serve our own purposes. Keep us strong as we follow your commandments, as we love our neighbors, as we minister in your name. Amen.