1 To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you
are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
2 Hear the voice of my
supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most
holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the
wicked, with those who are workers of evil, who speak peace with their
neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their
work, and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the
work of their hands; render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the
works of the LORD, or the work of his hands, he will break them down and build
them up no more.
6 Blessed be the LORD, for he
has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 The LORD is my strength and my
shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with
my song I give thanks to him.
8 The LORD is the strength of
his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless
your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
Some
have suggested that this prayer was written when David found himself faced with
a rebellion led by his son Absalom.[1]
Since that time this has been a prayer used by people who find themselves struggling
with “the wicked... and workers of evil” (Ps 28:3). The answer is to choose to believe
that “The Lord is my strength and shield” – even when this is not readily
evident.
There
are moments when we need to stand firm against those who seek to do that which
is evil. We can find strength for this in songs and prayers that affirm the
presence of a good God who stands against evil by strengthening people who work
for good.
You might want to use this Psalm as your prayer for today.
Third Sunday after Trinity
34 Our Weakness and God’s StrengthThe Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 213.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.
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