LOVE Lent 42

Scripture

O God, you are my God, I seek you,
   my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
   as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
   beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
   my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
   I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
   and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
when I think of you on my bed,
   and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
   and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
   your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63.1-8

Reflection

For the Psalmist, the love of God and their knowledge of that love is cause for celebration, and a foundation to build one's life upon. This love gives life meaning. Knowing love is as satisfying as being well fed, and inspires us to praise. Knowing God's love is so much more - a love that knows us fully, and loves us even more so. A love that sees our best and worst and everything in between, yet comes from a place of absolute love for us not despite, but because of, who we are.

The writer of the psalm grounds themselves deeper in this love by meditating, by clinging to this love, by taking time to remember the love of God.

Sometimes in the midst of our busy, stressful, distracted lives, we don't take the time to reflect and respond to this deep, abiding, freely given love - and without that remembrance, we can lose that sense of how deeply God loves us. As we reach the last part of our journey through this LOVE Lent, let us recommit to those times of letting the love of God sink deep into our hearts, our minds, our spirits, that we may be sustained through whatever life brings us.

Prayer

Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city
where we shall see you face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for Trinity 17 from the Church of England, based on a prayer of St Augustine of Hippo