Read: Psalm 94:3-15 NRSV
O Lord, how long shall the wicked,
how long shall the wicked exult?
They pour out their arrogant words;
all the evildoers boast.
They crush your people, O Lord,
and afflict your heritage.
They kill the widow and the stranger,
they murder the orphan,
and they say, ‘The Lord does not see;
the God of Jacob does not perceive.’
Understand, O dullest of the people;
fools, when will you be wise?
He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
He who disciplines the nations,
he who teaches knowledge to humankind,
does he not chastise?
The Lord knows our thoughts,
that they are but an empty breath.
Happy are those whom you discipline, O Lord,
and whom you teach out of your law,
giving them respite from days of trouble,
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
For the Lord will not forsake his people;
he will not abandon his heritage;
for justice will return to the righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.
It’s painful to see the wicked flourish while the innocent suffer. The psalmist cries for justice, echoing our own frustrations. Yet he also reminds us that God will not abandon His people. Our mourning is not in vain—God is a just judge, and He will make all things right in His time.
Pray: God of justice, hear the cry of the oppressed. Let Your kingdom come, where righteousness and peace embrace, and evil is no more.
