13 Lord, have mercy on me. See how my enemies torment me. Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
14 Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates, so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
16 The Lord is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.
17 The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
18 But the needy will not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed. 19 Arise, O Lord! Do not let mere mortals defy you! Judge the nations!
20 Make them tremble in fear, O Lord. Let the nations know they are merely human.
It's been called "poetic justice". Virtue is ultimately rewarded or vice punished, by an ironic twist of fate intimately related to the character's own conduct.
As we we conclude the psalm that began yesterday we see the notion clearly. And it all begins with the notion that "the Lord is known for His justice". So...what else would we expect? David tells us "the nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. The wicked will go down to the grave." It is as it should be.
Justice is an important principle. Mostly in the fact that the wicked can then never say "the devil made me do it". They rise and fall on the strength of their own conduct.
Have you ever heard a non-believer complain that a "loving God" would never condemn people? Well...this is true. It's just that non-believers fail to understand the notion of "poetic justice", better known as "divine justice". People condemn themselves by their own actions. We are not to relish the thought...its just the way God has created the world. "What goes around comes around", "we reap what we sow."
The converse is true as well. God will not ignore the travails of the righteous. " the needy will not be ignored forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed."
So how do people of faith find comfort in this? by recognizing the truth. We may be abused for a season, but God will never let evil go unpunished. The time and place is of God's choosing but David says "save me...so I can rejoice that you have rescued me!"
Our day of rejoicing will come!
Live boldly out there today...
July 12, 2010
July 11, 2010
Psalm 9:1-12
1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies retreated; they staggered and died when you appeared.
4 For you have judged in my favor; from your throne you have judged with fairness.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have erased their names forever.
6 The enemy is finished, in endless ruins; the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.
7 But the Lord reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne.
8 He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.
9 The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.
11 Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
12 For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.
Here we have perhaps the most important understanding of how things truly work in our lives..."My enemies retreated; they staggered and died when you appeared". We expend a lot of energy trying to manage our problems...with no great success. We simply pit our own strength and cunning against that of our foe. At best, our chance of success is suspect.
On the contrary, David recognized only one assurance of victory and that was allowing God to handle his problems. Once God arrived on the scene...the enemy cowered and retreated.
Furthermore, David reminds us that God's judgements are always fair.
How long have you been fighting the same battles? The same enemies? that struggle may go on for a long time into the future as long as you fight in your own strength. Invite God to the battle. No enemy can stand against Him...
Live boldly out there today...
2 I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies retreated; they staggered and died when you appeared.
4 For you have judged in my favor; from your throne you have judged with fairness.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have erased their names forever.
6 The enemy is finished, in endless ruins; the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.
7 But the Lord reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne.
8 He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.
9 The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.
11 Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
12 For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.
Here we have perhaps the most important understanding of how things truly work in our lives..."My enemies retreated; they staggered and died when you appeared". We expend a lot of energy trying to manage our problems...with no great success. We simply pit our own strength and cunning against that of our foe. At best, our chance of success is suspect.
On the contrary, David recognized only one assurance of victory and that was allowing God to handle his problems. Once God arrived on the scene...the enemy cowered and retreated.
Furthermore, David reminds us that God's judgements are always fair.
How long have you been fighting the same battles? The same enemies? that struggle may go on for a long time into the future as long as you fight in your own strength. Invite God to the battle. No enemy can stand against Him...
Live boldly out there today...
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