God Speaks
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O God, whom I praise,
don’t stand silent and aloof
2 while the wicked slander me
and tell lies about me.
3 They surround me with hateful words
and fight against me for no reason.
4 I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations
even as I am praying for them!
5 They repay evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 They say, “Get an evil person to turn against him.
Send an accuser to bring him to trial.
7 When his case comes up for judgment,
let him be pronounced guilty.
Count his prayers as sins.
8 Let his years be few;
let someone else take his position.
9 May his children become fatherless,
and his wife a widow.
10 May his children wander as beggars
and be driven from their ruined homes.
11 May creditors seize his entire estate,
and strangers take all he has earned.
12 Let no one be kind to him;
let no one pity his fatherless children.
13 May all his offspring die.
May his family name be blotted out in the next generation.
14 May the Lord never forget the sins of his fathers;
may his mother’s sins never be erased from the record.
15 May the Lord always remember these sins,
and may his name disappear from human memory.
16 For he refused all kindness to others;
he persecuted the poor and needy,
and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.
17 He loved to curse others;
now you curse him.
He never blessed others;
now don’t you bless him.
18 Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing,
or the water he drinks,
or the rich food he eats.
19 Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing;
may they be tied around him like a belt.”
20 May those curses become the Lord’s punishment
for my accusers who speak evil of me.
21 But deal well with me, O Sovereign Lord,
for the sake of your own reputation!
Rescue me
because you are so faithful and good.
22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is full of pain.
23 I am fading like a shadow at dusk;
I am brushed off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting,
and I am skin and bones.
25 I am a joke to people everywhere;
when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.
26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me because of your unfailing love.
27 Let them see that this is your doing,
that you yourself have done it, Lord.
28 Then let them curse me if they like,
but you will bless me!
When they attack me, they will be disgraced!
But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;
may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.
30 But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord,
praising him to everyone.
31 For he stands beside the needy,
ready to save them from those who condemn them.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: As you read consider the following questions regarding Psalm 109:
1. What does this psalm tell me about God?
2. What does this psalm tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God can and will rescue people from their adversaries if they will (at least attempt to) turn from their wicked ways and cry out to Him.
2. Wicked people have always attacked and falsely accused the righteous ones. Psalm 109 shows what we should do when this happens: lay out our case before the LORD and cry out to Him for help.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Psalm 109?
Dear Father-God who knows the hearts of all people, please hear and respond to the cries of the righteous. Defend them against the wicked ones. Jesus, when You were here on the earth, You told us to both love and pray for our enemies. Therefore, I will reword verses 6-19 to extend Your blessings to the wicked ones mentioned here. “Please send them Your goodness in place of their evil. Use their trials to bring them to You in repentance. Apply the blood of Christ to remove their guilt. Answer their prayers of confession. Grant them long lives of service to You on the earth. May their children come to know You as their Heavenly Father. May their wives know You as their Husband-Provider. May their children and households prosper and bring You glory by blessing others, even strangers. May people be kind to both them and their children. May their names be held in respect by future generations because of Your work in their lives. Because of Jesus, may the sins of their parents be forgiven and no longer be held against them. May their names be revered for Your work in their lives. May curses by them or against them be turned into blessings. May they distribute to those in need the food, drink, clothing, and other necessities and/or luxuries You have given them. May they be supplied with the belt of truth and all the rest of the armor of God. May they bless and not curse those they are or have maligned. I pray that the righteous ones will be given these blessings as well. All to bring glory to You, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Psalm 109?
- I will research to determine if verses 6-19 refer to the psalmist speaking against his enemies, or to his enemies saying this about him.
- I will cry out to God by praying Psalm 109 on behalf of all those I know who are living righteously but are being persecuted and maligned by the wicked ones.
- I will take courage and speak up for someone specific who is living righteously but is being persecuted and maligned by the wicked ones.
- I will give financial, physical, or moral support to someone specific who is living righteously but is being persecuted and maligned by the wicked ones.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.