Observation: the first half of this psalm seems very personal. The writer asks God to listen, to guide, to be a refuge. The second half is more political: "prolong the life of the king." But the more I read in the Bible about monarchy, and especially about how unstable things got when there was a transition of power, the more I think in this case the political, too, is personal. The psalmist is praying for stability. For peace.
Application: I'm not sure if this is legit or not, but I remember hearing that there's an old Chinese curse for an adversary, "May you live in interesting times." It certainly tracks with the idea in many cultures that, even if life isn't perfect, if it's predictable--dare I say, "boring"?--it's pretty good. Considering the "interesting times" in which we live, in which every new day brings a new crisis, nationally, internationally, environmentally, I can empathize with the Psalmist's cry: "Hide me. Guide me. Be my refuge." It's okay, maybe even preferable, to pray for more boring times. But here's a question I'm pondering: If God answers that prayer by making my life more "interesting" so my children's and grandchildren's can be "boring", would I make that sacrifice? As always, be careful what you pray for.
Prayer: Oh God, make our lives more boring. Be our peace and refuge. Hide us in the shadow of your wings. But Lord, make us willing to do our part to make this world a more peaceful, stable, "boring" place. If that means we make personal changes now, make us strong and help us live into the new normal for you and for future generations. Amen.
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