Psalms Reflection Journal Post #7

Psalm 55

In reflecting on the Psalm 55 I noticed that it starts with David crying out to God for help in times of distress only to end with him praising God for His character and faithfulness. Like so many Psalms they start with an honest plea, or voice of despair but end with an acknowledgement about who God is. This Psalm in particular caught my attention because of the last two verses. 

Cast your cares on the Lord

    and he will sustain you;

he will never let

    the righteous be shaken.

 But you, God, will bring down the wicked

    into the pit of decay;

the bloodthirsty and deceitful

    will not live out half their days.

But as for me, I trust in you.

This shows two parts of God’s character: His mercy and His Justice. God will not let the righteous be shaken but the evil and bloodthirsty will live short lives. The promise of God is that if we put our trust in Him, nothing will overcome us. This is not to say bad things will not come our way, but that He will be our rock and foundation. If we build on that foundation, we will never see decay. 

Church History Post 7

At this point in the church the structure has not changed much. The clergy are still in charge, meaning bishops and cardinals on up to the Pope. Doctrine comes from the top and they priests run their parishes. The biggest thing to note is that the laypeople, the parishioners, are largely Biblically illiterate at this point. Most cannot read and don't speak Latin, so couldn't read the Bible is they had access to it. They are spoon fed by the priests and this leads to the first stirrings of reform. Wycliffe and Huss begin to challenge the doctrines of the church regarding the Pope and this leads to a lot of drama within the church.