• Home
  • About
  • DavidKitz.ca
  • Youtube Videos
  • Books by David

I love the Psalms

~ Connecting daily with God through the Psalms

I love the Psalms

Daily Archives: September 8, 2020

Defend the Innocent

08 Tuesday Sep 2020

Posted by davidkitz in 365 Days through the Psalms, Psalm 58

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

injustice, innocent, justice, Prayer, violence

Today’s prayer drawn from reading Psalm 58.
365 Psalm 58

Lord, hear our prayer.

A Very Imprecatory Psalm

08 Tuesday Sep 2020

Posted by davidkitz in Devotions, Psalm 58, Psalms

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

anger, curses, imprecatory psalms, judge, judgment

Reading: Psalm 58
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.”
Of David. A miktam.
Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?
No, in your heart you devise injustice,
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.
Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
however skillful the enchanter may be.
Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
L
ORD, tear out the fangs of those lions!
Let them vanish like water that flows away;
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.
May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,
like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.
Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.
The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.
Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth”
(NIV).*

silhouette outside fire dangerous

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Reflection
The overall title of my devotional posts is, ‘I Love the Psalms’. Do I love Psalm 58? Ah, not so much. There is a term for this type of psalm. It’s called an imprecatory psalm. According to Wikipedia imprecatory psalms “are those that invoke judgment, calamity, or curses, upon one’s enemies or those perceived as the enemies of God.”

Currently, I don’t feel an urge to call down curses on others. I am at peace with those around me. That’s a good thing and I praise God for the joy and security I experience. In such an environment imprecatory psalms are completely out of place. They do not reflect my current reality.

But what if my reality was completely different? What if my son had been killed by ISIS militants? What if my daughter had been kidnapped and raped by jihadists? Or closer to home—what if my unarmed, teenage son was shot by police? I would be outraged. I would call for divine justice. In times such as these, the imprecatory psalms have profound resonance. We want and need a God who will judge the earth. At such times, we call on a God who cares to rise up and act on our behalf. In the face of injustice and cruelty, anger can be an appropriate response—a godly response. Our God is angered by cruelty.

Response: LORD God, in a world filled with injustice, we call on you to help and defend the innocent. Help the victims of violence and war and bring the perpetrators to justice. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you been praying for Christian communities ravaged by war in countries like Nigeria, Iraq and Syria? Do you bottle up your anger or release it to God through prayer?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Some good news: The first volume of 365 Days through the Psalms by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in November, 2020, by Elk Lake Publishing. Two additional volumes will follow in 2021 to complete the three volume set.

Psalms Alive! devotional study

A Devotional Study

Discover for yourself what a soul-bonding relationship with God looks like. As never before, let the psalms come alive for you. $17.95 (237 pages)

Psalms

Recent posts

  • Steadfast or Cyclical? March 8, 2021
  • The Presence of the Lord March 7, 2021
  • The Sea Looked and Fled March 7, 2021
  • Above the Heavens March 6, 2021
  • A Happy Mother of Children March 6, 2021
  • A Story of Christ’s Passion March 5, 2021
  • The Calming Voice Speaking into My Life March 5, 2021

Calendar

September 2020
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930  
« Aug   Oct »

Blog Posts

Blogroll

  • David Kitz Website
  • Discuss
  • Get Inspired
  • Get Polling
  • Get Support
  • Learn WordPress.com
  • Theme Showcase
  • WordPress Planet
  • WordPress.com News

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Comments

  • Mount Olivet Prophecy | Bijbelvorser = Bible Researcher on The Great Son of Man
  • davidkitz on Steadfast or Cyclical?
  • davidkitz on Steadfast or Cyclical?

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×