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Psalm 102.1-2, 15-21
Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come before you;
hide not your face from me in the day of my trouble.
Incline your ear to me;
when I call, make haste to answer me,
For the Lord will build up Zion,
and his glory will appear.
He will look with favor on the prayer of the homeless;
he will not despise their plea.
Let this be written for a future generation,
so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord.
For the Lord looked down from his holy place on high;
from the heavens he beheld the earth;
That he might hear the groan of the captive
and set free those condemned to die;
That they may declare in Zion the Name of the Lord,
and his praise in Jerusalem;
My initial reading of this psalm brings to mind how humans cope with suffering. We possess a natural inclination to reveal our pain to others and make it known to them that we’re not doing okay. It feels good to do this. Pouring your heart out to another person helps us heal. As lonely and isolated as we may feel at times (especially in the present moment!), it helps to be reminded that we are not alone and that our friends and family are there to help us get by.
This act of catharsis is so much more profound when we open up ourselves to God. The psalm reminds us that God not only listens, but provides comfort to those who need it and some order to the world around us. Of course, his love and mercy applies to everyone, especially the neediest cases. He “looks with favor on the prayer of the homeless” and hears “the groan of the captive.”
It’s been a little over a week since my wife Mandy gave birth to our beautiful baby girl, Juniper Lee Garklavs. Juni’s a perfect little person with big bright eyes that are full of wisdom and wonder. The past week has been a whirlwind of emotions for the three of us! Our lifestyle has become exhausting and monotonous, but full of joy!
So it is with the weary mind of a new parent that I write this reflection. In this respect I was particularly moved by the verse “Let this be written for a future generation, so that a people yet unborn may praise the lord.” I wonder what kind of relationship Juni will have with God and how she will handle hardships. Of course, we want her to have a happy life that’s free of pain, but ultimately she will suffer as we all do.
Juniper’s name makes a cameo in the Bible that is fitting to the message of this psalm. In the first book of Kings we see the Prophet Elijah in a state of duress. He’s a loyal servant to God and for that reason he’s at odds with local authorities who follow false prophets. At one point he flees to the desert to escape the wrath of King Ahab and finds himself at the end of his rope:
“But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.” (1 Kings 19:4-5)
When Elijah was at his lowest point it was a lowly juniper tree that brought him refuge. This unassuming place is where God provided him sustenance and the fortitude to carry on. What a hopeful and lasting image! Our daughter Juniper will grow and inevitably endure some suffering in her life. But she’ll have her family and friends to support her through those troubles and a loving God to watch over us all.