My name is Linnea Anstey. I’ve been coming to Calvary for the past ten years and I volunteer on the worship team. My husband (Andrew) and I just celebrated our third anniversary this last week. Some of you may know that a hobby I love is playing piano and singing. Something you may not know is that some of my other hobbies include baking and gardening. Here are a few of my thoughts of the Psalm 82 passage.

In this passage God is standing in judgement. The wicked people have been taking advantage of the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. It is a call of action on behalf of the weak that God would take action and save those who are oppressed.

To be honest, I have a hard time with passages like this. Maybe I prefer to see God as a loving and compassionate shepherd and it is harder for me to picture him as a judge. That forces me to have to take a step back and ask the question, “Why is it so hard for me to see God in that light?” There is actually something incredibly powerful about someone passionately fighting for those He loves. I wonder if I struggle with that because I struggle to believe sometimes that I am worth fighting for. Of course, I may know in my head that God fights for His children and for justice. That is written clearly throughout scripture. However, when it comes to believing that for myself I find my head knows that God fights for me, but my heart often struggles to feel it.

Jesus, I pray that you will open up my eyes to see you as you truly are. The God who not only fights for me but also who fights for all hearts. The hearts that are weary, the hearts that feel abandoned, and taken advantage of. I also pray for protection for those both in Canada and around the world who are hurting, poor, and lost that they would feel your loving hand of protection. Jesus, I pray that you would also open up my eyes to see those in my community who are hurting and give me wisdom on how best to love and fight for them.

During this reflection, I reminded once again of the power and strength of God and that I should turn to Him. Both when my heart is in need of defending and as well as for the many who are hurting around me. This week I am reminded once again to continue to bring these concerns to God and to trust Him to come to our aid.

Did you try out Lectio Divina this week with Psalm 82? Share your reflections here! If you still would like to follow with our community and contemplate weekly passages of scripture with us, check out the guide to Lectio Divina and this week’s podcast.