Psalm 109 Devotional

Handing the Accuser to God

“For He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from the condemners of his soul.”Psalm 109:31 (BSB)

Few psalms are harder to read. David is surrounded by lying mouths and repaid with hatred for his love (109:2-5). Then comes a long, fierce string of curses against the man leading the attack, asking that his life be cut short, his office given to another, and his family left with nothing (109:6-15). The psalm names why: this man hounded the poor and brokenhearted to their death, and he loved to curse (109:16-17). Peter later applied verse 8 to Judas, who betrayed Jesus (Acts 1:20).

David does not take revenge into his own hands. He calls himself a man of prayer (109:4) and hands the case to God (109:20-21). Then he turns to his own need: he is poor, wounded, and fading (109:22-23). At the end, the picture reverses. An accuser was to stand at the wicked man's right hand (109:6), but the LORD stands at the right hand of the needy to save them (109:31). Your deepest wrongs can be handed to the one who defends the needy.

To think about: What wrong done to you are you still trying to settle yourself, and what would it look like to hand it over to God in prayer?