Slices
Prepare
Have a quick look at this morning’s news headlines. What concerns you? Where do you see injustice? Are there people setting themselves up in place of God?
Bible passage
The Lord is a God who avenges.
O God who avenges, shine forth.
2 Rise up, Judge of the earth;
pay back to the proud what they deserve.
3 How long, Lord, will the wicked,
how long will the wicked be jubilant?
4 They pour out arrogant words;
all the evildoers are full of boasting.
5 They crush your people, Lord;
they oppress your inheritance.
6 They slay the widow and the foreigner;
they murder the fatherless.
7 They say, ‘The Lord does not see;
the God of Jacob takes no notice.’
8 Take notice, you senseless ones among the people;
you fools, when will you become wise?
9 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
Does he who formed the eye not see?
10 Does he who disciplines nations not punish?
Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?
11 The Lord knows all human plans;
he knows that they are futile.
12 Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord,
the one you teach from your law;
13 you grant them relief from days of trouble,
till a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not reject his people;
he will never forsake his inheritance.
15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.
18 When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.
20 Can a corrupt throne be allied with you –
a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?
21 The wicked band together against the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has become my fortress,
and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.
23 He will repay them for their sins
and destroy them for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will destroy them.
Explore
The psalmist, looking at the world, sees arrogant people prospering and godly people being oppressed and so he turns to prayer. In verses 1–7, he pours out his concerns to God.
As he reflects on the behaviour of those who mock or ignore God, the psalmist becomes outraged and in verses 8–11 he addresses the oppressors themselves, telling them just how great is the God they are disregarding.
In verses 12–15, the psalmist turns back to speak to God, expressing the attributes of the God who he is depending on, and praising God for who he is.
Finally, in verses 16–23, the psalmist states his faith in God alone, and his perspective that despite all the evil in the world, God can be trusted to bring justice.
Use this psalm as a template to pray about situations of injustice or arrogance that you see locally or globally. First, tell the Lord your concerns about the situations, then think what you would say to the people involved about God. Next, remind God of his promises relevant to this situation and, finally, admit your dependence on God alone.
Respond
Worship the Lord by listening to or singing a song that speaks of God’s power (such as ‘The Lion and the Lamb’ by Big Daddy Weave) or God’s justice (such as ‘God of Justice’ by Tim Hughes).
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Job 1,2; Psalm 80
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for the many Vacation Bible School programmes that will be run by SU India asking for guidance for the leaders and volunteers, that all will be kept safe and that many children and young people will meet Jesus in new and life‑giving ways.
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