Your Consolations Cheer My Soul

This meditation is based on a passage for December 7, 2010 in the Daily Lectionary Year 1 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).

Text: Psalm 94

Reflection and Question: Far from a psalm of sweetness and light, this is baleful cry for God’s justice understood as vengeful judgment against the wicked. It does give some sense of what evil is: killing the widow, the stranger and the orphan. The poet is confident that God is against that and for those who abide by God’s law. That assurance cheers him partly because God will wipe out the wicked. Up to that point, I take this psalm as my own, using it’s words for my prayer. However, I will not ask God to wipe out anyone, as I, too, stand among the judged. When would you ever pray for such vengeance?

Prayer: God of all power and might, You can turn Your judgment to vengeance and retribution as the psalmist here desires. Teach us Your law. Discipline us so that we may be among the upright of heart. When we fall short, forgive us we pray. Amen.