August 19th, 2012
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Stop Them!

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Opening Prayer

Spirit of God, may the wonder of life, and the joy of Your salvation, fill my heart with songs of praise.

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 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.

Meditate

What is the one thing in the world that most breaks God’s heart? Does it trouble you? Give that some thought before going on.

Think Further

Can you imagine yourself praying this psalm? Most of us would eschew David’s confidence in his own position and the strength of condemnation of the wicked he requests. Even when he expresses his weakness (21-29), it is borne out of the antagonism he is facing rather than from his own sense of sinfulness. David displays none of our self-deprecating, timid approaches to intercession.

This is the prayer of an unjust sufferer. The world is not fair, and right behavior, far from guaranteeing an easy passage, can leave one feeling at wits’ end (22-25). This psalm does not ask us to deny our feelings, as if God’s people should be able to cope with anything life throws at them. We can express ourselves honestly to a God who is “in the midst of human suffering, listening to every sigh, collecting every tear, resonating with the trembling of every fear-stricken heart” (Miroslav Volf). Why? Because Jesus Christ is the supreme example of unjust suffering.

The psalmist longs for evil to be overthrown, expressing himself in language that we might find harsh, even vindictive. He is at the end of his rope, with God silent and evil seeming to triumph. Don’t expect cool, unemotional, detached praying. He is totally engaged, driven by the vision to see evil shown up for what it is (7): restricted in its lifespan (8-13), judged by God and its memory eradicated (14,15). He prays for evil to boomerang back on itself (17-20). This may not be exactly how we would express ourselves, but the sentiment clearly agrees with resisting the devil (1 Pet. 5:8,9; Jas. 4:7) and denouncing false preachers (Gal. 1:8). It agrees with the assurance that God will “pay back trouble to those who trouble you” (2 Thess. 1:6).

Apply

Do you want to pray this psalm? Ponder your commitment to seeing evil subjugated and God glorified. How do you express it?

Closing prayer

Lord, when the burdens of the day beat me down, and sin causes me paralyzing doubt. I thank You for Your grace to go on.

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