May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
When you, God, went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.
Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens, who thunders with mighty voice. Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the heavens.
You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! - Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows...God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing.." One of the biggest forms of idolatry is the idolatry of relationships-the view that, if everything is ok with them, then everything is all right with the world. But relationships are always temporary. Either through physical distress, emotional abandonment or circumstances beyond our control, relationships--even those relationships which are in fairly good shape--cannot provide protection against the world. Since all people are like grass that withers, therefore the relationships built on those people will eventually disappoint because the people disappear. So what remains is the relationship that does not wither or fade--the one who can be the closest relation to us-Jesus.
When Jesus asked his hearers: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” He didn't really have a choice in who is mother or brothers or sisters were-who his family were- physically. But he looked around at those sitting with them and said that the family he chose was more critical than the family he was born with. Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Sometimes, the ones who realize this sooner are the ones for whom all relation has been forcibly removed through death, abandonment or betrayal. They learn, as we should, that God is not the distant grandfather, but instead the closest relation we have.
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