Psalm 9

1 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies turned back,
they stumbled and perished before you.
4 For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.
5 You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins;
their cities you have rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.
7 But the Lord sits enthroned forever,
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with equity.
9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord , have not forsaken those who seek you.

Who are you Lord?

You are “enthroned forever.” You are the Sovereign of the Universe.
You are the ethical, moral, and spiritual arbiter of all that is and all who are. You are the judge, the evaluator, the One who sets the standards. Your throne is “for judgment.” You sit in judgment with each of us. You sit in judgment with me.

Bad news and good news; there are times when I fail the test (bad news) but what I do and what we do and what the nation does really matters. Our behavior is worthy of your attention and consideration and judgment.

Jesus declared that you pay attention to the slightest details of our lives. You care enough to watch and listen – good news indeed. You call it love.

Righteousness and equity are the standards by which you judge both individuals and communities. “You judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.” And how do equity and righteousness look? “You are a stronghold for the oppressed.” You have a special place in your heart for the underdog, for the disadvantaged, for the one who needs extra help. If I am reading the poet correctly, “equity” and “righteousness” mean that you want to level the playing field. Those who cannot protect themselves have your protection and because they have your protection, they have a right to the protection of the community and the nation.

Lord, how shall I pray? “Those who know your name, put their trust in you.” I pray for those who need for the playing field of life to be leveled. I pray for your righteousness and equity to be made manifest.

At the same time, as I struggle with the issues that are mine, though I am not particularly oppressed, I pray for your protection and grace. And I pray that I will be an instrument of your righteousness and equity. I pray that our churches will be instruments of equity and righteousness.

Lord, I believe the poet. “You…have not forsaken those who seek you.” Thank you Lord for this remarkable promise. You are with us now. You are with us in our need and in our success. You are with us as we celebrate and as cry for help. You are with us as we seek you. Thank you.

Lord, a change of subject: The story is in the news. A black high school student in Kansas, I think the only black student in the town, was tied up at a party, had a bucket put on his head, was pissed on and had his arms spray painted white! The oppressors have been arrested and are headed for trial but that will never be enough to heal the wounds of that young black man. I pray for him.

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July. I pray for our nation, that righteousness and equity might be the hallmarks of our national character. In the words of our pledge, I pray for “liberty and justice for all.”

PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Pray for God’s righteousness and equity for those who have been denied the necessities of life.
Ask God to be present to you in your places of need.
Name 5 things for which your are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.

In Christ’s name,
Amen.

11 Sing praises to the Lord , who dwells in Zion.
Declare his deeds among the peoples.
12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13 Be gracious to me, O Lord .
See what I suffer from those who hate me;
you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
14 so that I may recount all your praises,
and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
rejoice in your deliverance.
15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
16 The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah
17 The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
19 Rise up, O Lord ! Do not let mortals prevail;
let the nations be judged before you.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord ;
let the nations know that they are only human. Selah
[1]

[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.