Today’s Reading: Psalm 109, 115, 125, 129
They surround me with hateful words
and fight against me for no reason.
I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations
even as I am praying for them!
They repay evil for good,
and hatred for my love. – Psalm 109:3-5
From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me.
Let all Israel repeat this:
From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me,
but they have never defeated me.
My back is covered with cuts,
as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.
But the Lord is good;
he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly. – Psalm 129:1-4
PERSECUTED BUT NOT DEFEATED
I have never been fully understood by those who did not value my faith. I have been questioned, challenged, and accused, but not known. Some have not accepted me and some have excluded me, but through it all, the Lord is good. It is not easy to live in a world that questions my character, but the Lord is faithful. When times get tough, I can trust in Him; when life is hard, I will choose to trust in my Jesus.
Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion;
they will not be defeated but will endure forever.
Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.
The wicked will not rule the land of the godly,
for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.
O Lord, do good to those who are good,
whose hearts are in tune with you. – Psalm 125:1-4
When my heart is in tune with the heart of God, I can see my enemies in a different light. God gives me the strength to choose mercy instead of retaliation — compassion where once I would have chosen revenge. I can put the situation or relationship in God’s hands, and I can trust Him through it all!
MISTREATED BUT NOT DEFEATED
All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!
He is your helper and your shield.
The Lord remembers us and will bless us.
He will bless the people of Israel
and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
He will bless those who fear the Lord,
both great and lowly.
May the Lord richly bless
both you and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. – Psalm 115:11-15
God, we pray this morning for favor among those we come in contact with today. We pray for strength when others mistreat us and courage when we are threatened or bullied. Give us a heart of mercy to respond in a way that reflects courage, and strengthen us to do it again tomorrow and the next day. Thank you for the reminder that you are good and that you can be trusted. We ask you to bless us and our children as we live to honor you in all that we say and do. Amen.
Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me because of your unfailing love.
Let them see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, Lord.
Then let them curse me if they like,
But you will bless me! – Psalm 109:26-28a