Why Your Heart Beats

Psalm 50

For those who identify themselves as part of God’s family, outward religious observance can be a way of avoiding personal encounter. Ritual is emotionally safe. Verses 7-15 address the religious. The beginning of God’s covenant with Israel was signaled by sacrifice (verse 5), but what God desires of his people is that they would be open to his powerful, empowering, life-changing presence (let the power of verses 1-5 soak in). To depend on outward sacrifices for the expression of life as God’s people is a sad mockery of God’s power. The essence of life with God is relationship, encounter. God deems to make his presence known and felt to us. That’s astounding. How do we respond to that? In any way he makes possible for us: worship from the heart, actively loving those with whom we share this life and this planet, drawing others to him, deepening bonds with other believers … the possibilities are endless. To tend to some religious observance and be satisfied, with that, that we are right with God is so sad.

Tremble for those who actively mock God with a pretense of faith while doing the opposite of his will (verses 16-22). Actively working for their rescue (the basic meaning of ‘salvation’) will fuel all the more the energy of our life beyond mere religion.

Prayer:
How amazing that you choose to reveal yourself to us, God! Your Psalmist has expressed something of your power and might that would no doubt just obliterate us if we were fully exposed to you – whatever that might mean - in our earthly state. Yet you have chosen to make your power and purpose known to people – like to Moses as well as to Pharaoh in order to bring about a people to love and work with and through to the world. In time you sent your Son the Way we could know you in a fully human way even while you remain fully God. How can we ignore this? How can the world ignore this? How can anyone mock this? How dare we reduce this to ritual? Show us how to make the most of your revelation, as a matter of our very life’s breath and knowing it is why our hearts beat. Through Christ. Amen.