Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 You are my God and I trust you

In our current lectionary study, we will explore Jeremiah as a context for reading the psalms ... and the psalm as a response to Jeremiah's writings ... We will identify themes that connect these biblical writings and consider a prayerful response that emerges in our study.   See sidebar notes for more general information about Jeremiah and the Psalms

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 (NRSV) as the CONTEXT for reading the Psalms
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of           Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.    At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah, where King Zedekiah of Judah had confined him.  

Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came to me:  Hanamel son of your uncle Shallum is going to come to you and say, "Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours."  Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, "Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself." Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.  And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver.  I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales.  Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions, and the open copy;  and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard.   In their presence I charged Baruch, saying,  Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time.   For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.

Jeremiah is locked up by King Zedekiah because he predicted the Babylonians would take the city and capture the king.   This public prophetic act takes place around 588 BCE during the second siege of Jerusalem before the fall of the city and the destruction of the temple around 587 BCE.  Talk about timing!    Jeremiah spends 29 chapters shouting and weeping and acting out and carrying on quite boldly about the coming judgment of God upon the Jerusalem and Judah.  As a matter of fact, he has a history of doing quite bizarre things to get his message of impending doom across.  

Suddenly Jeremiah writes Chapters 30-33 which is called the “Book of Consolations.”  These four chapters contain messages of hope.   This particular little episode of hope from Chapter 32 gives us reason to think that Jeremiah the Prophet has lost what little sanity he has left.  After telling the Jewish community to buy land and settle in Babylon because they’ll be there awhile, God tells Jeremiah himself to acquire land in Jerusalem as it is being destroyed.   Because I live on the Gulf Coast, I have spent many days “visiting” with relatives, evacuated from my home, waiting for a Hurricane to come on land.  Jeremiah’s act of faith seems to me like buying a house on the beach when a Category 5 Hurricane is heading straight for that local oasis!   On the surface, it appears to be more folly than faith.    So, how do we define faith?   In theological circles, faith is said to have 3 stages:  First, we believe and this occurs mainly in our head.  Next, we trust and this adds our heart.  Finally, our loyalty demands that we obey with our entire being.    Are there any persons in your life that embody this kind of obedient faith?   Can you imagine them resting in these verses of Psalm 91?

GOING DEEPER through the reading of Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 (New Century Version)

Those who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, You are my place of safety and protection. 

You are my God and I trust you.
     God will save you from hidden traps and from deadly diseases.
 God will cover you with his feathers, and under her wings you can hide. 

God’s truth will be your shield and protection.
     You will not fear any danger by night or an arrow during the day.
You will not be afraid of diseases 

that come in the dark or sickness that strikes at noon.

The Lord says, "Whoever loves me, I will save.   

I will protect those who know me.
 They will call to me, and I will answer them.   

I will be with them in trouble; 

I will rescue them and honor them.   

I will give them a long, full life, and they will see how I can save."  

• There are several powerful names and images for God found in Psalm 91:  God Most High, Almighty, 
• The Lord, My God, Place of safety and protection, Bird (feathers and wings) and My Shield and Protection …  Are there more names/images that you see in this psalm?       
• What are some names or images of God that you use as you pray and talk with God?    
• How do the images of Jeremiah “mesh” with your own image of God?  
• How do they challenge you?    
• Does this psalm help you to envision God differently?   How do you feel about this God?    How might you expand your image of God by thinking “outside the box” as you ask “who is God?”

PONDERING Life in the Connections between Jeremiah 32 and Psalm 91
See how the words of Psalm 79 illuminate the words of Jeremiah?   Trust is the major theological theme in both passages with obedience a close and illuminating theme in Jeremiah.  We can learn a lot from Jeremiah’s determination to hear God speak and to be obedient. 

• Have you ever felt God calling you to say or do something that you weren’t sure about?  
• It is quite difficult to obey when we don’t understand nor are we sure that we heard the right word to act upon.    
• What are some of the fears that are alleviated by trusting God according to the psalmist?   
• How are you being called to let go of some of your fears by trusting in God?

This passage encourages us to examine a spiritual principle that we often gloss over in our quest to extend the grace of God in Christ to everyone.  There are consequences that we suffer as a result of our actions.    Grace does not erase the consequences of our poor life choices.   Judah is suffering from the refusal of the people to repent and follow God as Jeremiah has called upon them to do.  People often debate heatedly as to the extent of God’s involvement in suffering.  Does God cause suffering to punish us?  Does God allow suffering as natural consequence?    Is God really in control?   Can we trust God?    We can debate these things … do you believe there is really a universal answer or must we examine each situation, seeking God’s counsel through others and the Spirit?

PRAYING with a “Breath Prayer.”  A Breath Prayer is a short prayer repeated frequently throughout the day or night, in times of calm and times of stress, anytime it comes to your mind.   Breath Prayer is an ancient form of prayer, found in writings as early as the second century when Christians repeated breath prayers to develop the habit of praying without distraction. This form of prayer comes from the Hebrew word ruach, which is translated "wind," "breath," or "spirit."   Discovering a Breath Prayer is a spiritual practice that allows each one of us the opportunity to make prayer a part of  our daily life.  Breath Prayers help us to develop a relationship of trust in God.  We “discover” a breath prayer as it arises from deep within.   Discover and pray your breath prayer using Psalm 91:

Discovery:

• Take 5-10 minutes to quiet yourself within.  Acknowledge all your busy thoughts as they emerge and let go
• Read through our Psalm selection slowly … allow the passage to read you … allow God to speak to you
• What name of God from this passage draws your attention … Let a new name emerge from the text or from deep within yourself … how will you call upon God?   Gently whisper, “I’m here.”
• As you open yourself to the presence of God, is there a verse that catches your attention, one that connects with your desire for relationship with God?   What do you want from God?   

Prayer:

• Take the name of God you have chosen (or that has chosen you)
• Combine it with your desire and work with it until it comes easily to your mind, six to eight syllables is most comfortable to pray.
• As you begin to pray you will know if you have the prayer that God is calling you to pray … the prayer that expresses your deepest desire before the God who created you and filled you with that desire.   
• When you have “discovered” your breath prayer, I invite you to “pray unceasingly” for 30 days so that it becomes as natural as breathing
• As you continue to breathe and pray your prayer, you may find that it seeps into your other prayer practices, such as intercession for others ... you may find that is seeps into you and that God’s love begins to flow in to you and out from you into a world that hurts.  

May God richly bless you as you pray your breath prayer!  

If you have access to youtube, listen to Trust and Obey, a hymn written as a poem in 1887 and then set to music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLJ7Hkx6YwM