Please Help Me, God!
Opening Prayer
Lord, You stand with me even when I am misrepresented. I rest safely in You.
Read Psalm 109:1-31
[1]For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, [2] for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. [3] With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. [4] In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. [5] They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship. [6] Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand. [7] When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. [8] May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. [9] May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. [10] May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. [11] May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. [12] May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. [13] May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation. [14] May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out. [15] May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may blot out their name from the earth. [16] For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. [17] He loved to pronounce a curse- may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing- may it be far from him. [18] He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil. [19] May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him. [20] May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me. [21] But you, Sovereign LORD, help me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. [22] For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. [23] I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. [24] My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt. [25] I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads. [26] Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love. [27] Let them know that it is your hand, that you, LORD, have done it. [28] While they curse, may you bless; may those who attack me be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice. [29] May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak. [30] With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him. [31] For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save their lives from those who would condemn them. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How is God's justice demonstrated in the psalm?The psalmist had many enemies, and his conversations with God (which we see in the psalms) are full of his fears and failures, as well as of joy at his successes. He doesn’t fall into the trap of always asking God for help, or only praising God during the good times. Rather, he turns to God in both the good and the bad times. He has much to teach us! First, if we are going through a difficult period we should turn to God in praise (1) and prayer (4). If we feel that people reject our kindness and friendship, we can take comfort that the psalmist was in the same situation (4,5). Second, we can ask for divine justice (6). Avoid the trap of verse 17, of being quicker to criticize than to bless others. Third, we can ask for divine help (21). The psalmist portrays himself as weak (22), totally dependent on God’s salvation. Rather than trust in his own ability, taking the matter into his own hands, he leaves the punishment of evildoers to God.
Apply
Is there an area where you are suffering injustice or where you see injustice? Journal about it with Psalm 109 as a guide.
Closing prayer
Righteous God, You see. You will not be silent forever. I entrust all to You.
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