"For you meet him with rich blessing; you set a crown of fine gold on his head. He asked you for life; you gave it to him---length of days forever." Psalm 21:3-4 Reflection: This psalm is written for the coronation of a king (the "him" in the psalm), so I try to imagine these words with music and pomp while some kind of crown is being placed on an ancient monarch's … [Read more...] about Psalm 21 (Psalms on the Trail)
Archives for January 2016
Psalm 20 (Psalms on the Trail)
"May the Lord send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion." Psalm 20:2 I am on a mattress in the upstairs of a rustic bunkhouse open as a hiker hostel on the property of Holy Family Catholic Church in Pearisburg, VA. This hostel is a sanctuary of help and support. Hot showers, towels, a kitchen with food supplies, nearby restaurants, laundromat, post … [Read more...] about Psalm 20 (Psalms on the Trail)
Psalm 19 (Psalms on the Trail)
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims its maker's handiwork." Psalm 19:1 For those of you who know and love the Virginia Blue Ridge, this photo looks north toward the Peaks of Otter from one of the places where the AT crosses the Parkway. I am just out of reach of a thunderstorm a half mile to the right over the eastern valley. (That photo will come … [Read more...] about Psalm 19 (Psalms on the Trail)
Psalm 18 (Psalms on the Trail)
"I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge." Psalm 18:1 I notice that the psalmist describes the Lord as "my rock" twice in one sentence, so I'll assume this repetition was deliberate. It could be that the psalmist was crafting a pattern for the music, or maybe "rock" was simply a really good … [Read more...] about Psalm 18 (Psalms on the Trail)
Psalm 17 (Psalms on the Trail)
"Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings." Psalm 17:8 Reflection: I usually take an apple along on a hike---a day hike, that is. However, a fresh apple has a lot of moisture in it which makes it heavy, relatively speaking. For a backpacker who is out 5-6 days before resupplying, carrying a fresh apple for each day on the trail is a … [Read more...] about Psalm 17 (Psalms on the Trail)