Restless for Home
A devotional on Psalm 90
I was asked, “What was your favorite book you read this year?” My answer was Psalms of Wonder: Poems from the Book of Songs by Carey Wallace and Khoa Le. It’s a beautifully illustrated book of Psalms, translated for children, but not too far off from other Bible translations. I memorized her version of Psalm 90 and have been praying that with my baby, Lucy, every night before bed. In my next series of posts I am going to go through portions of that Psalm and share how it’s meaningful to me. Perhaps it can serve as a devotional for you as well. Here’s Part 1:
“Oh Lord, you have been our home through every generation.” - Psalm 90:1
I spent the last couple months putting my home back together after a pipe burst and the ceiling above our bed collapsed. I’m not an interior designer but I know when something feels off. I’ve spent weeks deliberating on the colors of curtains and pillows because it just didn’t feel peaceful to me yet. I’ve learned about the importance of plants and lighting and warm colors. With the help of some great friends and family, the place finally feels like home. I breathe better and deeper when I walk into my bedroom now. Here’s a before, middle and after picture (you can see how bad my first attempt at decorating was!)
My sister-in-law, Tiffany Tao Joiner, painted the beautiful artwork above the bed (see more of her artwork here: www.levelinghills.com).
I love my new room, but the process of getting my home back made me feel so restless. I can’t be at peace until my home feels at peace.
Psalm 90 is titled “A prayer of Moses” and is thought to have been written in the season when the Israelites were wondering in the wilderness with no home. They knew restlessness on the deepest of levels. Perhaps this psalm could also be titled, “A prayer of the disappeared because of ICE.” or “A prayer of Palestinian babies still under the rubble.” or “A prayer of Altadena.” There are so many people who have lost their home due to oppression or to natural disasters this year. It has been a year of restlessness.
The Psalmist begins his restless prayer with a declarative statement about God and home. In the midst of restlessness, where home is not home yet, God is that home. He is that place of stability, of peace, and safety. And his home is not just for one family or one generation. It’s a home for every generation. God, our home, is consistent and eternal. He won’t wear out and he’s not going away.
Here are some questions I’m reflecting on that I offer to you as well:
What are you restless about? In what ways are you yearning for more peace, stability, or safety?
For who else are you restless? Who do you know is without home or peace right now? How does Moses’s prayer stir you to pray?
What do you sense, feel, imagine when you think about home? How do those feelings help you sense, feel or imagine God?