Deus Misereatur

  I spoke on Psalm 73 on 1 January 2023. You can watch and listen here , and you can follow along with the manuscript below. New Year 2023 Psalm 73 (2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1, Titus 2:1-10) O God, who is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart; bring us, this day to see that you are continually with us, you hold our right hand, and you guide us with your counsel. Amen .   I quoted this statement last Sunday, and it is worth more thought: “Anything that erodes the fear of God will intensify the fear of man” (Edward T. Welch, “When People are Big and God is Small,” 79). And this is true in the other direction, anything that intensifies the fear of man will erode the fear of God. For a new year, I think this is a rock-solid subject to ponder. And you see Welch’s point played out in Psalm 73. And it begins with the slip.   The Slip (1-3): Asaph was a Levite, one of those from the priestly clan who were to exemplify the difference between the clean and unclean...

  Almighty God, though a man’s heart plans his ways, it is you who directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). Therefore, we pray for this world, your church, and ourselves for this new year. Lord God, as we plan our ways and means for this year, guide us step-by-step. May our confidence in you increase throughout 2023. May we come to know you more than ever before, love you more deeply than we have in the past, and serve you with greater enjoyment and enthusiasm. May we have eyes to see you doing great things – even in the modest and mundane moments. May we have hearts and voices ready to rejoice in your great goodness, even if the wind gets kicked out of us. May we be known as a people who enjoy making much of you! We ask you to alleviate the suffering, angst and fretfulness of those who are in dire need of your healing or help (…). For all of them we ask you to restore them by filling them with your unsurpassable peace to guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and give them rock-h...