The news was horrific. A live-in foreign domestic helper had been so ill-treated by the family she worked for that she died. The employers were eventually jailed, but I felt it wasn’t enough. They should have suffered the same horrors they put that poor girl through, I thought, and then put to death. Then I wondered if my anger had crossed the line. Was I wrong to think such things?
Reading Psalm 109 gave me an insight into our natural sense of justice. David, for one, wrestled with anger toward those who wronged the poor and needy. “May his days be few . . . . May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow,” he charged (vv. 8-9).
But King David didn’t take revenge on these men—even though he had the power to. Instead, he turned to God as the true source of justice and deliverance. “May this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me,” he said. “Save me according to your unfailing love” (vv. 20, 26).
I believe God made us with an inherent sense of justice, for it reflects His own character. And we can express our feelings honestly. But ultimately we’re to leave judgment and punishment to Him—trusting Him to bring justice in His time and way. The apostle Paul states things clearly: “Do not take revenge . . . but leave room for God’s wrath” (Romans 12:19).
What news or events disturb you? How can you pray for those in need and for victims of injustice?
Dear God, You are the all-seeing, righteous God. May Your justice prevail so that all may come to fear and worship You.
Psalm 109 is what’s known as an imprecatory psalm, where the author heaps curses, calamities, and destruction on the wicked, calling on God to judge them (see also Psalms 5, 35, 59, 69, 129, 137, 140). David had suffered unjustly in the hands of his enemies (109:1-5). In his imprecations or curses (vv. 6-20), he wasn’t seeking personal vengeance. Instead, he asked God to act on his behalf. He prayed for God’s justice and righteousness to prevail over evil and for Him to intervene and save him (vv. 26-31). David confidently proclaimed God’s justice in another psalm: “Those who know your name trust in you . . . . The Lord is known for his justice” (9:10, 16 nlt). Our world is characterized by trials, injustice, and wickedness. The Psalms can help us express our praises, laments, petitions, and cries to God for help and trust Him to bring justice in His time.
