19 Do not let those gloat over me
who are my enemies without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason
maliciously wink the eye.
20 They do not speak peaceably,
but devise false accusations
against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha!
With our own eyes we have seen it.”
22 Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent.
Do not be far from me, Lord.
23 Awake, and rise to my defense!
Contend for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
do not let them gloat over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”
or say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 May all who gloat over my distress
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication
shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
your praises all day long.
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Today’s passage led me to think and pray about justice and injustice. David is calling on the Lord to contend with those who have treated him unjustly. He wants the Lord to come and serve as his defense attorney and judge, vindicating him as innocent of the accusations, and enacting judgement upon the wrongdoers who have risen up against David.
David is focused on the injustice that he personally has suffered. But the problem of injustice is much greater than that, greater than David’s experience, and greater than my own. One of the most gnawing and frustrating features of the fallen world is the widespread prevalence of injustice. Turn on the news, read the newspaper, go to your favorite news site, and you will instantly find numerous widespread examples.
And so what do we do? We pray for God’s justice. We pray for his mercy and grace and strength upon those suffering because of injustice. We pray for God’s justice, which will be perfectly manifest when Christ returns in glory, to be visited now upon the earth. And we pray that God would lead us, in the strength He provides, to be agents for justice – the fair and equitable treatment of all from God’s perspective – whenever and wherever we can.
Several years ago, our school theme verse was Micah 6:8 – “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (And here’s the song I wrote based on it – https://soundcloud.com/truevinemusic-1/what-is-good) God calls us to act justly.
My prayer is that today I would live as the Lord had Micah describe. I pray that by His strength I may act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God.
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