Verse of the day; John 15:4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
Daily Devotional: God centered Life by Dr. Josh Moody;
Psalm 9 begins conventionally enough. It starts with giving thanks to God. And the reasons for the thanksgiving are well known: gratitude for what God has done (his “wonderful deeds”) and ultimately for who God is in himself (“I will be glad and exult in you”).
But having begun in this way, the psalm then picks up its main theme which is, by contrast, quite unfamiliar to many of us today. That theme is the theme of judgment. In particular, David is calling on God to judge. While in some circles the judgment of God is still preached in full orthodoxy, even then it is passingly rare to hear someone pray for God to judge. And yet this how the psalm climaxes.
The psalmist talks of how God “judges the world with righteousness” and then, ultimately, asks God to so judge. “Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men!”
How are we to think about this theme of judgment, and even asking God to judge? First of all, it is a recognition of reality. Too often we look for reasons for believing something in terms of what it does to benefit us. But the first and primary reason for believing something is that it is true—whether or not it benefits us. The fact that an idea is useful does not make it true. David, then, writes this psalm of judgment because God is a God of justice and judgment. This is the truth. “The LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice.”
Once this truth is faced, though, its ramifications are both terrifying and comforting: – Comforting for those who “put their trust” in God. – Comforting for the “oppressed” for whom the judgment of God against evil powerful men is a “stronghold” in their oppression. God “avenges blood,” and he “does not forget the cry of the afflicted.” The “needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.” God will set all things to rights.
Take heart, you who are oppressed. Put your trust in God. He is righteous, and he will not allow evil dictators, bullies, and vicious gang lords to get away with murder. Trust in him. One day all will be right. Comforting for those who, because of their work for God and their witness to God, have “affliction from those who hate” them. Terrifying for the “wicked” who do not repent and do not trust in God.
“The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.”
There is judgment often even in the here and now. Often it is true that sin is its own judgment; bitter is the aftertaste and sour the fruit. And one day the “wicked shall return to Sheol.”
David did not have all the teaching of Jesus about hell that we possess in the New Testament. But he knew that after the grave there would be a further judgment for the wicked too. There are times to pray this prayer. There are times to read the news; to hear of the terrible trauma and evil of this world, the vain power of evil men; and to cry out to God as David does. “Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men!”
9:1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
9:2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
9:3 My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.
9:4 For you have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
9:5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
9:6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.
9:7 The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.
9:8 He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.
9:9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
9:11 Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.
9:12 For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
9:13 Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
9:14 that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation.
9:15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
9:16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
9:17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.
9:18 But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
9:19 Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence.
9:20 Strike them with terror, Lord; let the nations know they are only mortal.
Summary; The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.
Closing Prayer; Heavenly Father help us to give thanks to you more for all you have done, and do it with all our hearts. Help us to rejoice and praise your name even in times of trial and remember that you are there beside us always. In Jesus name Amen.
Prayer of Salvation: Which is how you ask to become a child of Our Heavenly Father. Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and I know you will answer my prayers. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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