Psalm 50

Question:

I had a dream and this scripture was given to me.

Comment:

Many of the psalms were written in times of defeat, to either blame God for what happened or to beseech God to come to their aid. Others were written to celebrate victories—to affirm and give thanks for God's blessing. What's intriguing about Psalm 50, I think, is that it falls somewhere in between. It seems to be warning that even though things may seem okay, there are going to be inevitable consequences to being out of alignment with the Presence and Power of God. And it's clearly not a question of obeying the outer forms of worship—the God of this psalm is not impressed with sacrifices when the underlying energy is false. The only significant and acceptable energy with which to approach and honor the divine, it seems, is—and this may well be why the psalm was in your dream just now—thanksgiving! Don't come begging, don't come entreating, don't come as a cover for thieving, slandering choices you may be making in your life. Center yourself in a heart-deep appreciation for the infinite ways in which the Light and Love of God are expressing in your life and in the world we share. Out of that energy of genuine thanksgiving will come the rich assurance that you will move easily through every challenge to "the salvation of God."

Blessings!

Rev. Ed