Hear the words of the psalmist;
read closely and meditate on these words:
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
Declare his deeds among the peoples.
For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
Be gracious to me, O Lord.
See what I suffer from those who hate me;
you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
so that I may recount all your praises,
and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
rejoice in your deliverance.
The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
Higgaion. Selah
The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail;
let the nations be judged before you.
Put them in fear, O Lord;
let the nations know that they are only human.
As we meditate on these words, let us consider:
How is the Lord a stronghold in our life?
Since we know God’s name, how are we called
to trust him today?
How can our lives “sing praises to the Lord ” today?
What does it mean to me for God to be “the one
who lifts me up from the gates of death?”
Consider the ways in which we might plead
for the Lord to “rise up” in our lives today.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Psalm 9:9-20 – NRSV
