Multifaceted
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, I worship You today as the one true God, the Lord and King over all! I praise You!
Read Psalm 9:1-20
[1] For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David. I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. [2] I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. [3] My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. [4] For you have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge. [5] You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever. [6] Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished. [7] The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. [8] He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. [9] The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. [10] Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. [11] Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. [12] For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted. [13] LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, [14] that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation. [15] The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. [16] The LORD is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. [17] The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God. [18] But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish. [19] Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. [20] Strike them with terror, LORD; let the nations know they are only mortal. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
What do you learn here about what God is like?David reminds us in this psalm of several important things about the Lord. He destroys the wicked (5), he rules forever (7), he judges fairly (8), he is trustworthy (10) and he remembers those in need (18). David spent a lot of time escaping from enemies; before he became king of Israel, his life was in danger many times as Saul tried to kill him. Here, he praises God for his deliverance. God’s power and protection were a reality to him precisely because he was in circumstances where he needed them. My experience of God has also been that, at particular times, certain attributes of God or aspects of his character stand out as more important to focus on or more relevant to my situation. I especially remember being in a very dangerous place some years ago. The fact that God is a refuge (9) meant so much more to me at that time than it has at any other. The reality of that and other experiences of God has stayed with me–especially in times when I’m not feeling in top Christian form! These memories are so important.
Apply
All that happens to us can help us learn more of what God is like. What are you learning at the moment?
Closing prayer
Good Lord, may I get to know You better and better as I live and follow You more closely each day.
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