Week Five - "That My Whole Delight May be to Repose in the Arms of Your Protection"

As a recap, here is the great prayer from Elizabeth Rhodes:

"Grant me, gracious Lord, a pure intention of heart, and a steadfast regard to your glory in all my actions. Possess my mind continually with your presence, and fill it with your love, that my whole delight may be to repose in the arms of your protection. Be light to my eyes, music to my ears, sweetness to my taste, and full contentment to my heart. Be my sunshine in the day, my food at the table, my repose in the night, my clothing in company, my succor in all necessities.
Lord Jesus, I give you my body, my soul, my substance, my fame, my friends, my liberty, and my life. Dispose of me, and all that is mine, as seems best to you, and to the glory of your blessed name. I am not my own, but yours; therefore claim me as your right, keep me as your charge, and love me as your child. Fight for me when I am assailed, heal me when I am wounded, and revive me when I am destroyed.
My Lord and my God, I ask you to give me patience in troubles, humility in comforts, constancy in temptations, and victory over all my ghostly enemies. Grant me sorrow for my sins, thankfulness for my benefits, fear of your judgments, love of your mercies, and mindfulness of your presence for evermore. Make me humble to my superiors and friendly to my equals, ready to please all and loathe to offend any; loving to my friends and charitable to my enemies. Give me modesty in my countenance, gravity in my behavior, deliberation in my speech, holiness in my thoughts, and righteousness in all my actions. Let your mercy cleanse me from my sins, and your grace bring forth in me the fruits of everlasting life.
Lord, let me be obedient without arguing, humble without feigning, patient without grudging, pure without corruption, mercy without lightness, sad without mistrust, sober without dullness, true without duplicity, fearing you without desperation, and trusting you without presumption. Let me joyful for nothing but that which pleases you, and sorrowful for nothing but what displeases you: that labor be my delight which is for you, and let all weary me that is not in you. Give me a waking spirit, and a diligent soul, that I may seek to know your will, and when I know it may I perform it faithfully to the honor and glory of your ever blessed name. Amen."

Chilcote took this prayer that is divided into four roughly equal parts and provided a theme for each section:
Part 1: Who is God to me? (first paragraph of prayer)
Part 2: What can I give to and ask of God? (second)
Part 3: How does God shape my life? (third)
Part 4: How do I live as a disciple of Christ? (fourth)

Today, we continue with part one from Chilcote.

Scripture

“There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help.” - Deut. 33:26-29

Meditation

The historic liturgy for Evening Prayer, prayed daily by the Wesleys, opens with the following cry to the Lord: “O God, make speed to save us. O Lord, make haste to help us.” In many of the Psalms, the petition is more personal. “Be pleased O Lord, to deliver me....make haste to help me.” Supplications such as these, in fact, pervade the Psalter. Their character is primal, urgent, existential. The simple prayer “deliver me,” or “save me,” appears no less than 25 times in the songs of David alone. As if making his appeal in response to the common experience of all who seek God, the psalmist prays for deliverance from enemies, persecutors, and evildoers; for rescue from violence, strife, and affliction; but also for salvation from guilt and shame as the consequences of personal sin.

People of faith know where to turn for safety; they find repose in the arms of God’s protection. The mystery of suffering and affliction may not resolve into simple explanations and ease in life, but in the promise of God’s loving care, we feel secure. Martin Luther captured the essence of this dependency in his most famous hymn, “Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott,” a paraphrase of Psalm 46. God, he sings, is a safe stronghold still – a mighty fortress. No matter how the words are translated into English – a bulwark never failing, a sword and shield victorious, a trusty shield and weapon – God is our refuge. Underneath all that perplexes us in life are God’s everlasting arms.

Prayer

Gracious Lord, mighty fortress in whom I can always trust: deliver me from whatever shakes my world, fills with me anxiety, and separates me from the knowledge of your love, that I might find repose in your arms of protection. Amen.

Part Six coming next Monday...
pcraig