A Transforming Lament

Today's full One Year Bible readings:
Genesis 16:1-18:15 ~ Matthew 6:1-24 ~ Psalm 7:1-17 ~ Proverbs 2:1-5

Psalm 7 is a personal lament that offers the worshiper a unique expression of worship to the Lord during difficult circumstances. It is specifically geared for times when the worshiper is dealing with harsh criticism and persecution. Below is a just a sampling of the seventeen verses of Psalm 7.

1 O LORD my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,

3 O LORD my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands-

5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.

6 Arise, O LORD, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.

12 If man does not repent,
God will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow

17 I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness
and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Psalm 7:1,3,5,6,12,17 (NIV)

The first verse is straight forward enough and is the easiest to apply - when times are tough we cry out to the Lord. But, from that point on I find this Psalm to be particularly challenging. It forces us to examine our hearts and be honest with the Lord about our own actions.

Criticism is often hard to deal with - especially when there's truth to it. Just because someone exposes a problem doesn't make them the problem. However, if the harsh criticism or persecution is totally unwarranted then the worshiper should be able to sing the next few verses with integrity of heart by calling on the Lord's judgment to rise up! May the Lord bring about His righteous justice.

Abruptly, a real gut-check happens when we start to sing verse 12 and realize that the worshiper (like God) should love his enemies and remember that the ultimate hope for the unregenerate is repentance not judgment.

If and when we can offer this lament to God with absolute integrity we will know that God has demonstrated his transforming power in our heart. Today, as an act of worship, praise God for leading you to the place of repentance. Take time to slow down and consider the question, "What do I truly want to happen to my enemies?"