I've had reason lately to be reminded of a Psalm, one that was a favorite of General George "Blood and Guts" Patton. Psalm 63 (62 in the Vulgate) was featured as a voice-over in the 1970 movie Patton:
(A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.)
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
To see thy power and glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches.
Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
Somebody say "Amen."
1 comment:
Amen.
I have, as many others have, I'm sure, found solace in the psalms. This is especially true when things seem the darkest, when my efforts go without results.
How the heck athiests can get through difficult periods in their lives is beyond me.
But, that does bring to mind a story I once read about the comedian W.C. Field. Word had it that Fields was an athiest. As he neared the end of his life, he was resting in bed one evening and a friend who stopped in to see him noticed he was reading the Bible. When asked why he, as a person who didn't believe in God, would read the word of God, he said "Just covering all bases."
This is closely aligned with the battlefield mantra: There are no atiests in foxholes.
Peace.
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