Psalm 144: Paying Attention

The psalmist asks, "O LORD, what are we that you should take care for us? mere mortals that you should think of us?"  He observes that, "We are like a puff of wind; our days are like a passing shadow."  Then, without hesitations, he asks God to do mighty things on behalf of his people.  Though our lives may be short and we may seem inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, the author of these verses knew that God still loved his people, that to him they mattered.  We can take heart from this and rejoice.  But as this is Lent, we should also take pause: for the God who loves his people care about what they do.  He wants them to live righteously, to do justice, to show mercy, to walk humbly.  During this season we should reflect on whether we responding fully and faithfully to God's call and then act accordingly, not hesitating to call on God for his support and encouragement as we seek to do and discern his will.

Blessed be the LORD my rock! *
who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle;
My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, *
my shield in whom I trust,
who subdues the peoples under me.
O LORD, what are we that you should care for us? *
mere mortals that you should think of us?
We are like a puff of wind; *
our days are like a passing shadow.
Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down; *
touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Hurl the lightning and scatter them; *
shoot out your arrows and rout them.
Stretch out your hand from on high; *
rescue me and deliver me from the great waters,
from the hand of foreign peoples,
Whose mouths speak deceitfully *
and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.
O God, I will sing to you a new song; *
I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre.
You give victory to rulers *
and have rescued David your servant.
Rescue me from the hurtful sword *
and deliver me from the hand of foreign peoples,
Whose mouths speak deceitfully *
and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.
May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth, *
and our daughters like sculptured corners of a palace.
May our barns be filled to overflowing with all manner of crops; *
may the flocks in our pastures increase by thousands and tens of thousands;
may our cattle be fat and sleek.
May there be no breaching of the walls, no going into exile, *
no wailing in the public squares.
Happy are the people of whom this is so! *
happy are the people whose God is the LORD!

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