Manna for Today: Psalm 56

 

Psalm 56:1-13

Key Verse: 55:1-3

“God, have mercy on me because I’m being trampled. All day long the enemy oppresses me. My attackers trample me all day long because I have so many enemies. Exalted one, whenever I’m afraid, I put my trust in you —” CEB

It seems as those who are for oppression, those who do harm, who are moving against those who stand for what is right, what is good and what is just. What is our response when we feel as if we are being trampled? What do we do when we or those around us are being beat down, physically or emotionally, metaphorically or literally? When we are in the midst of it all; when evil surrounds us like hurricane; when the struggles of life threaten to drown us, when those who see good where there is only evil and live out their lives in response to that, what do we do? What do we say?

In the middle of it all, while it is happening, how do we respond? We join God and seek to make things right. We seek justice, we follow after what is right. We call our evil for what it is. And we give God praise. In the middle of it all we give praise to God for what is doing, will do and is about to do. When we join God on the journey toward righteousness and justice, when we join God’s movement against injustice and evil, then because we are a part of what God is doing, because we are a part of the redemption God is bringing we can praise God for what God will do, for the justice which God has not yet wrought, for the redemption that is in the works. When we join with God and are apart of the workd God is doing, then we can trust God to complete the work which is being done, in us, and through us. When we are join with God, we know the work God is doing, is beginning to bring forth, and is about to accomplish, then we can give praise to God for that which we know God will do. We can trust God to complete the work which God begun.

 

  

 

 

Things to Think on

Do you feel as if you are being trampled?

What is your first response to the hurt and the pain you are going through?

Do you know of others who are being trampled, run over, oppressed?

What is your response to their hurt and their pain?

What does trust in God in these situations look like?

What for what things which God has yet to accomplish can you give praise to God today?

 

 

A Prayer for Today

There is so much hurt, so much pain. Evil is being touted as right, and the good is being declared wrong. What is just, what is godly is being trampled. The feet of the opressors run over others. Here in the middle of it all it is hard. Yet, I give praise to you, O Lord. You bring justice, you will let what is right and good shine forth and will put injustice and evil out in the dark. You will not stand by while people are being mistreated. You will bring redemption. Here in the middle of it all, I will stand with you. I will join forces with you. I will work with you. I will go where you go and do the work you are doing. I trust you and know you bring goodness, righteousness justice and redemption to even the darkest corners of our world, its systems, its governments, its peoples. You are God. I trust you. – Amen