Gay Christian Devotion
Psalm 85 (King James Version)
1Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
3Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
4Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
5Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
6Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.
8I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
9Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
10Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
13Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Reflection
There is a tendency for people to believe unpleasant life circumstances show God's anger. When bad things happen to us, we immediately assume God is angry with us. The psalmist seemed to struggle with that. Poverty and illness are not signs that God is angry with you. The fact that you are gay is not a sign God is angry with you. Rejection by a few people in church or by a few family members is not proof that God hates you.
There are a trinity of things that prove how God feels about you. God created you. God chose you and God redeemed you. Creation, choosing and redemption are acts of love.
1Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
3Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
4Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
5Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
6Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.
8I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
9Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
10Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
13Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Reflection
There is a tendency for people to believe unpleasant life circumstances show God's anger. When bad things happen to us, we immediately assume God is angry with us. The psalmist seemed to struggle with that. Poverty and illness are not signs that God is angry with you. The fact that you are gay is not a sign God is angry with you. Rejection by a few people in church or by a few family members is not proof that God hates you.
There are a trinity of things that prove how God feels about you. God created you. God chose you and God redeemed you. Creation, choosing and redemption are acts of love.
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