PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Psalm 52
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Here now is the man who… grew strong by destroying others!” (Psalm 52:7)
You can read the back story to this Psalm in 1 Samuel 21-22.
Doeg is driven by self-love, eager to win by defeating or destroying others.
In the story he succeeds, and he kills almost all of a priestly family and community.
The gist of this Psalm is that the cruel and heartless will one day meet their end.
Those who climb over others to reach the top will eventually come tumbling down.
This is not a prayer for revenge, but a plea and a hope for justice.
The question is, how many people worldwide today are praying this prayer?
Those who are held back, knocked down, used and abused, for other peoples’ gain.
I may not be doing this myself, but am I part of a system that does this?
Does my community, or country, or my company do this… does my church do this?
Jesus makes himself and others great by sacrificing himself for the sake of others.
This is the Jesus Way, growing strong by serving, blessing, sacrificing for others.
I wonder, is this how I help make others great… is this how the church does it?
If we surveyed our neighbours, is that how they would describe us, or our church?
PRAYER
Lord, I can see when people who do not know you do this, but when your church behaves like this, it is very disturbing. Humble us so that we can grow strong by serving others!
David might wish and pray for revenge or punishment on those who betrayed him and who killed the priests who helped him. But in the end he knew: “Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin”. It is not up to us to judge or seek revenge even when we are abused, cheated and betrayed. Lord help me to stay true to the course – to follow you and not take revenge or punish another in anger – help me to seek forgiveness and reconciliation – as hard as it may be!
Where do I place my trust?
My trust is not in myself but in the Lord. It is not what my hands have done, but how the Lord God has used me for His purposes. I am His and He is mine. Others need to see that Christ is living in me. I am a servant of the King.
1 Not what these hands have done
can save this guilty soul;
not what this toiling flesh has borne
can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
can give me peace with God;
not all my prayers and sighs and tears
can bear my awful load.
2 Thy work alone, O Christ,
can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God, not mine,
O Lord, to Thee,
can rid me of the dark unrest,
and set my spirit free.
3 Thy grace alone, O God,
to me can pardon speak;
Thy pow’r alone, O Son of God,
can this sore bondage break.
I bless the Christ of God;
I rest on love divine;
and with unfalt’ring lip and heart,
I call this Savior mine.