Psalm 138
Well-known speaker and writer Tony Campolo tells about a friend of his in England who was trying to set up a ministry in the nightclub scene in Newcastle. He decided to start by visiting some of the nightclubs that were located near the train station. In each of the clubs, he found the same thing: intense music, flashing strobe lights, and young bodies vibrating to rock music.
When he visited the fourth nightclub, it seemed pretty much like the other three, except for one thing. There was a middle-aged man wearing a tweed jacket and tie sitting off in the corner. He didn’t seem as if he belonged there. So the man went over and asked him, “What in the world are you doing here?”
The man in the tweed answered, “Two months ago I had an argument with my daughter. She had gotten into drugs and become one of those strange young women who call themselves ‘Goths.’ She wore mostly black clothes, purple lipstick, and had dyed her hair black. It was obvious, after she stayed out all night, time and time again, that she had become promiscuous. We had many arguments and one day a few weeks ago she stomped out of the house, slammed the door, and yelled that she was never coming back again. I know that she hangs out at places like this, so every Friday and Saturday night I come to this part of Newcastle to sit in a nightclub and hope that I will see her. I want to put my arms around her and tell her that I love her, and that any time that she wants to come home she will be more than welcome because I miss her so very, very much.”
That father’s love was a reflection of God’s steadfast love described by David in this psalm. David gives thanks for God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. According to my trusty Webster’s dictionary, steadfast means “firm, fixed; not changing, fickle, or wavering; constant.” And faithful means “constant, loyal; showing a strong sense of duty or responsibility; steadfast adherence to a person to which one is bound.” God loves us like that. God’s love never changes; it is not fickle; it doesn’t depend on God’s mood or on our behavior. God’s love is just there. And it will always be there. And God is faithful to us. God’s loyalty to us is constant. God will not desert us or leave us to our own devices when trouble comes our way. God has our back.
This psalm has meant a lot to me during the long months of the pandemic. I have needed that reminder of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. I have needed to hear again and again that when I call on God, God will answer me. And God has surely increased the strength of my soul over and over and over again. Even though I – we all – have walked in the midst of trouble, God has preserved us.
When this all started back in March of 2020 and everything was shut down, I was afraid and anxious. I guess we all were. Nobody knew how bad things might get, or when we could get out again, or when we could get back to church or see our families. No one could have ever predicted that 15 months later we would have experienced so much hardship and heartache. Small businesses had to close, some of them permanently. People lost their jobs and found themselves needing help for the first time in their lives. There were changing directions and guidelines from the CDC and that were sometimes confusing. Children were disrupted in their education, with some attending school in person, others remotely, and some in a combination. And then there was the COVID-19 virus itself. As of June 2, there have been 595,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19. Some of those people were family members or friends of those sitting here this morning. All of them were family members or friends of someone. The amount of grief that has been borne in our country is overwhelming.
And then there were the other issues that were fighting for our attention. The Black Lives Matter movement, the death of George Floyd and the demonstrations that followed, the killings of other persons of color, the voices calling out for justice. The deep political division in our country and a presidential election like no other. The attack on the U.S. Capitol. And there has been a rise in the number of mass shootings over the past several months. All of these events have been causes of frustration, anger, confusion, and division among family members.
My emotions have been on a roller coaster ride for 15 months. I am in many ways exhausted. And I would imagine some of you feel the same way. At first, I wasn’t even sure how to do my job. I couldn’t do things the way I was used to doing them, that was for sure. So I had to relearn, regroup, and find new ways of offering ministry. Instead of doing less work because we aren’t meeting for worship in person or holding our regular activities, I have actually had to work more in order to provide ministry to the most people that I could. I was somewhat frustrated by the fact that clergy were not considered front-line workers; I felt we should have been allowed in hospitals. Nurses were left to sit with the dying, when clergy have been trained to do that. I felt useless and helpless sometimes, sitting on the sidelines.
But through all of these months of troubles, trials, and tribulations, the one thing I was absolutely sure of was that God was right there in it with me, with us, with all of us. Because God is faithful. God would never leave us when we really need him. When we call God, God will answer us. And God will increase our strength of soul. I just love that phrase, don’t you? Increase our strength of soul. That is how we get through each day, with strength of soul. Knowing that the unchanging love of God is surrounding us. Knowing that God will faithfully walk with us in the midst of the trouble.
One of the greatest privileges that has been mine was to walk with my mother on her journey through cancer. I was in awe of her courage every single day. And I was amazed by her faith. She was absolutely sure of God’s presence with her, and she knew that God’s steadfast love and faithfulness would get her through whatever she might have to endure. She never asked, “Why me?” She hardly ever complained except when she had trouble reading after she had a stroke. She went to church as often as she felt like it. She read her Bible and books about faith. She talked about her faith with her friends and other church members, and with me. I knew that she felt God with her and that she depended on God with a childlike faith.
I have tried to have that kind of faith during the pandemic. I have felt God’s presence during the days that were hard. I have trusted God’s steadfast love and believed in God’s unchanging faithfulness. And I have felt God increase my strength of soul. As I walked in the midst of trouble, God has indeed preserved me.
I would like to close with a paraphrase of Psalm 138 written by Leslie Brandt:
I am exceedingly grateful, O Lord, for You have heard my cries and complaints, and You responded with mercy and strength. Now my life is overflowing with thanksgiving, and my mouth is filled with Your praises. You have not shielded me from the pains of trouble or the ravages of conflict, but You have kept me even amid sorrow and suffering. You take my side against the enemies of my soul, and You will not allow them to destroy me. Thus I know You will fulfill Your purpose for my life. Your love and mercy [are] everlasting; You will not let me go.
