November 25, 2012
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 9

OBSERVATIONS
1. David starts by affirming his faith in God. God is in charge, God cares for the needy and the oppressed. God stands for justice, and will punish those who oppose and deny it! As we see from the rest of the psalm (vv.13-14), he is not experiencing this at the moment, but he is choosing to believe it, to claim it!
2. David is being persecuted, he is under attack, he is desperate and overwhelmed, but he is not giving up. In his crisis, he is turning to God for help and hope. Despite what is going on around him, he is trusting God for vindication.
3. The world that David lived in was much more lawless and violent than it is for me. We have relative peace and security and justice (not perfect, but much better than other places in the world). There are people throughout the world who can relate to the kinds of struggles that David did, where persecution and injustice and violence are the norm. Often, like David, people in these situations have a stronger faith than we do in our safe, comfortable worlds.
What do you notice in this passage?

APPLICATION
1. What do our prayers say about us, what do my prayers say about me? How would I pray if I was in David’s situation, would I pray like this, would I pray at all? When I consider David’s bold prayer and confidence despite his severe struggles, my prayer sounds like petty whining. I know God loves me, and He knows my heart, but this does make me think about my own faith and doubts in the midst of (much) lesser trials and challenges.
2. Do I affirm my confidence in the midst of my difficulties. God is greater than my fears and doubts, God is greater than my financial issues. God is able to do immeasurably more than I ask or imagine. I choose to believe this, I choose to say this out loud. I choose to trust God, and refuse to give in to the fears and doubts that come at me.
3. My struggles have not been my own directly, but indirectly for those that I know, for those that are a part of our church. People stricken by cancer, dealing with the death of a loved one, losing their jobs or homes, experiencing unfaithfulness in marriage or a marriage breakdown, those who are abused, addicted, depressed, suicidal. I can follow David’s example by praying boldly for them too, it does not need to be my own struggle. Like the friends of the paralyzed man who brought him to Jesus to be helped, I can be a friend helping others to Jesus, trusting that He can heal them. Pray boldly, for myself, for others, for God’s kingdom and justice and victory, and the vindication of the oppressed.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?

PRAYER
God, this prayer of David gives me boldness to pray against evil wherever it manifests itself. Arise, Lord, do not let the wicked triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, Lord; let the nations know they are only mortal. But You will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish!