Loyalty will sprout from the ground — photo by David Kitz
Poetic Romance in the Psalms
30 Saturday Jul 2016
Tag Archives: justice
Food to the Hungry
06 Wednesday Apr 2016
Posted in Mid-Week Medtiation, Psalms
He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free (Psalm 146:7, CEV).
Ottawa River as seen from Greens Creek Point — photo by David Kitz
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is hunger.
Our Lord taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
As I think over my life, I can’t think of a single day when that prayer has not been answered. In other words, the Lord has had an unbroken record of faithfulness. I have never gone to bed hungry except by my own choice.
Today’s verse from the Psalms reminds us that God is the one who daily supplies our needs.
He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free (Psalm 146:7, CEV).
The Lord’s provision goes beyond physical needs. As the psalmist declares, the LORD also provides justice and sets prisoners free. Worry often holds me as a prisoner. What about you?
But when I consider the LORD’s faithfulness, there is no place left for worry. He banishes hunger along with worry. We have this assurance: God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4:19, CEV).
Response: LORD God, thank you for your daily provision of good things. You have been more than faithful. My heart overflows with thanks for your goodness. Amen.
Your Turn: Has God been faithful in providing for you? Has He come through for you?
Justice and Mercy
25 Monday Jan 2016
Posted in Monday Meditation, Psalms
The LORD will bring justice and show mercy to all who serve him (Psalm 135:14, CEV).
October glory – photo by Karen Kitz
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is mercy.
Can there be justice without mercy? The opposite question is also valid. Can there be mercy without justice?
When I have been wronged, I call out for justice. When I am the one who has committed the wrong I call out for mercy.
It takes a wise judge to bring both justice and mercy together in the decisions he or she renders. Fortunately for us, the LORD is a wise judge. The LORD will bring justice and show mercy to all who serve him (Psalm 135:14, CEV).
The question we need to ask ourselves is, “Am I serving Him or am I serving myself?”
Response: LORD God, give me eyes to see your mercy and justice at work in my life and the lives of others around me. Give me a willing heart to serve you. Amen.
Your Turn: Is there a time you remember calling out for justice? Do you remember asking for mercy?
Every Bone in my Body
22 Friday Jan 2016
Posted in Psalms
Every bone in my body will shout: “No one is like the LORD!” You protect the helpless from those in power; you save the poor and needy from those who hurt them (Psalm 35:10, CEV).
Sunset Glory – photo by Eric E. Wright
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is salvation.
God, help the poor. It seems like no one else will.
Of course that statement is an exaggeration, but there’s an element of truth to it. In a world where extreme wealth and extreme poverty live side by side, one wonders at the lack of care that we show for our fellow travelers on the road of life.
We find this advice in the Book of Proverbs: But you must defend those who are helpless and have no hope. Be fair and give justice to the poor and homeless (Proverbs 31:8-9, CEV).
Do we give more than a passing thought to refugees fleeing war, or youth on the run from domestic violence? Ask yourself, am I reflecting the care the LORD has for the poor and needy?
Response: LORD God, no one is like you. You protect the helpless and save the poor. In my thoughts and conduct help me to be more like you. Amen.
Your Turn: Is there someone in need that you can help today?
You Give Hope to People Everywhere
07 Monday Dec 2015
Posted in Monday Meditation, Psalms
Our God, you save us, and your fearsome deeds answer our prayers for justice! You give hope to people everywhere on earth, even those across the sea (Psalm 65:5 CEV).
Syrian Refugees – Alan Parker blogs.canoe.com
Our theme for this week is hope.
Does God give hope only to our kind of people, or is God more generous than that? Today’s psalms meditation makes it clear that God has a bigger view of humanity. He is the giver of hope to people everywhere.
Response: LORD God, we look to you for hope. Help us to be like you, heavenly Father, giving hope and help to those in need. Amen.
Your Turn: What can you do today to give hope to someone in need today?
There is a God who Judges the Earth
17 Monday Aug 2015
Tags
David, David Kitz, God, imprecatory psalms, Iraq, ISIS, judgment, justice, Syria
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;
LORD, 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).
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.”
The sword of justice — David Kitz
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.
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 Iraq and Syria?
The Great Summoning!
12 Tuesday May 2015
Tags
David Kitz, God, Judgement Day, judgment, justice, summoning
Reading: Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
(Verses 1-6)
The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
Our God comes and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
and around him a tempest rages.
He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people:
“Gather to me this consecrated people,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice (NIV).
Reflection
Psalm 50 begins by reminding us that Judgment Day is coming. A great summoning will take place. We will all gather before the throne of God. Rich and poor, the powerful and the weak, the living and the dead—all will gather before the LORD. None are excused. The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
On the day before his crucifixion Jesus elaborated at some length on this great summoning. For some it will be a day of joy and gladness; for others it will be a day of dread and sorrow. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left” (Matthew 25:31-33).
Lagoon Tree — David Kitz
What kind of day will it be for you?
It will certainly be a day of justice. The world is crying out for justice. All too often in this world—in this life—there is no such thing. The innocent suffer, while the perpetrators get off free. They gloat in their pride, while swaddled in luxury. On that great day—that Judgment Day—the tables will be turned. The great Judge of all the earth will see to that. And so He should. Since the fall of man, the world is crying out for justice.
It is well worth noting that in his account of Judgment Day, Jesus decides if we will enter into bliss or torment based on how we treat others. He states, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’ (Matthew 25:40).
Response: LORD God, help me to live my life in joyous preparation for that great summoning when wrong will be made right. Help me to be merciful so that I will receive your mercy in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Your Turn: How can we prepare our hearts and live our lives aright in the knowledge that Judgment Day is coming?
Do you want justice in this life?
20 Thursday Feb 2014
Reading: Psalm 28
Of David. (Verses 1-5)
To you, LORD, I call;
you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.
Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back on them what they deserve.
Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again. (NIV)
Reflection
David begins Psalm 28 with a plea for God to hear him. As the psalm progresses it becomes clear that this is a plea not only for mercy, but also for justice. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place. Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.
The cry for fairness is perhaps the most universal of all human desires. What is the most oft repeated phrase is in a kindergarten class? If you guessed, “That’s not fair!” you win the gold star. A desire for equality of opportunity and fairness is simply part of our human constitution; it’s bred into us. Governments are defeated and revolutions happen when leaders fail the test of fairness and equality under the law. But all too often we do not see justice served in this life. The murderous Pol Pot was never brought to justice though three million Cambodians died under his regime. When we become aware of such heinous crimes, David’s call for justice rings true and clear. Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve.
The oppressed and the oppressor will meet the God of justice in the afterlife. But the redeemed have this assurance, ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Response: Lord God, have mercy on me. Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil. I put my trust in the redeeming sacrifice of your Son, Jesus. Amen.
Your Turn: When you see injustice around you, do you take it to God in prayer?
I love the Psalms 