God, the Deliverer!
God, the Deliverer!
Reflection on Psalm 70:1 — 11/12/2023
Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O LORD, make haste to help me! — Psalm 70:1
The disciple of Jesus is one who is constantly with Jesus in a student - teacher relationship. They are learning from him how to live in the Kingdom, how to replace habits of sin with habits of righteousness, learning how to do all things in his name (Col. 3:17).
A large part of that learning relationship will be the discovery of sins and weights (Hebrews 12:1) that are keeping us from the fullness of life God has for us. In these instances learning to cry, “O Lord, make haste to help me,” will be the course of wisdom and holiness.
Read the life of the saints, the holier they grew the more aware of their own personal faults they became. But this awareness didn’t lead to self-pity or condemnation; no, they learned that sin was meant to be given to God, who can deal with it properly.
As Dom. Augustin Guillerand said, “God will know how to draw glory even from our faults. Not to be downcast after committing a fault is one of the marks of true sanctity.”
Therefore, do not let your sins be an occasion of separation from your Lord, let them be another reason to draw nearer to Him.
Holy Father, in Jesus Christ we have discovered your eagerness to forgive our sins. Forgive us, therefore, when we allow the presence of sin in our lives become the occasion of self-condemnation or shame. Teach us to view them as opportunities to cry out to you, and receive grace and pardon. For Jesus sake we pray. Amen.