I SHALL TEACH TRANSGRESSORS YOUR WAYS (Tuesday, May 29)

“Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and with your governing Spirit establish me. I shall teach transgressors your ways (Διδάξω ἀνόμους τὰς ὁδούς σου, научу беззаконныя путем твоим), and the ungodly shall turn back to you.” (Ps 50: 12-13)

One might ask, Can “I” really teach transgressors God’s ways? I mean, isn’t this verse of Psalm 50 a bit presumptuous for me, who is also a transgressor? 

No, it isn’t presumptuous, when I look at all of Psalm 50, and how it progresses, – or teaches me to progress, – from placing myself and all my “transgression” into the hands of God’s “great mercy,” and from there to open up to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and reliance on Him. It is in Him, not in “me,” in the self-isolation of self-reliance, that I not only regain the capacity to see “the joy of salvation”; I also regain true usefulness to myself and others, in the ways God intends for me to be useful, according to His purpose for me. When I open up, as I am, to God, and accept His “way” of being and doing, which is “great mercy,” I can approach my immediate challenges and relationships, be they professional or personal, with God’s creative, life-giving energies, like compassion, gratitude, patience, and humility. And indeed, God’s “way,” when I let it be mine in my life, does “teach transgressors,” including myself, by witnessing to the light and lightness of His way of doing things. Let me accept God’s great mercy today, and be merciful to myself and others. Amen!

(Happy Tuesday, and 3rd Day of Pentecost, dear zillions! For more on Psalm 50, check out our all-NEW audio-podcast, in which we discuss the first half of this Psalm, - and that's to be continued in this Thursday's podcast! Tune in or subscribe to join our well-informed & inspired listeners here:
www.patreon.com/sistervassa)