WEEK FOUR

Songs of Judgment

The notion of blessing is one that Christians are quite comfortable with – the idea of cursing not so much. While we don’t want to spend time with people who abuse power or commit injustices, we don’t like the idea of wishing harm on them. David, however, was very comfortable telling God just what he thought of his enemies and what he hoped God would do to them. 

As you read through these imprecatory songs of judgment this week, may God give you a fresh vision of how He feels about sin and brokenness in the world.

 

Day 1 – Psalm 58

Psalm 58:1-2, 10-11

Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?
    Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
    your hands deal out violence on earth.

The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
    he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
    surely there is a God who judges on earth.”

 

Day 2 – Psalm 109

Psalm 109:1-4

Be not silent, O God of my praise!
For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
    speaking against me with lying tongues.
They encircle me with words of hate,
    and attack me without cause.
In return for my love they accuse me,
    but I give myself to prayer.

 

Day 3 – Psalm 40

Psalm 40:1-4, 13-14

I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!

 

Day 4 – Psalm 139

Psalm 139:1-4, 19-22

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
    O men of blood, depart from me!
They speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies take your name in vain.
Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.

Day 5 – Psalm 37

Psalm 37:1-7

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!

GO DEEPER

Don’t do life alone! Join a group and find community, connection and encouragement. We have groups for all ages and stages, meeting at various times throughout the week. In-person and online groups available. 

Break Their Teeth, God

There are some songs of the heart that we might rather not sing out loud. They express thoughts and feelings that are brutal and dark - feelings we'd rather others not know we feel. There are Song of the Heart in the Bible that curse others or invoke evil and they...

Where are you, God?

Ever felt like God was far away, uninterested, or worse yet, that He had abandoned you? You’re not alone. In Psalm 13, David expresses the raw emotion of wondering where God is when he needs Him the most. Far from being unspiritual, cries of lament create a dialogue...

Songs from the Heart Reading Plan Week 3

WEEK THREE Songs of Lament When we are heartbroken or angry at the way life has turned out, it can be tempting to turn away from God and write Him off. But David and the other psalmists didn’t hide their feelings of disappointment in God. They felt all the feels and...

I Take Refuge in You

It seems like we spend a lot of our time searching. We chase money, relationships, fame, and plenty of other things, hoping that some of it will deliver a sense of goodness, security, and joy. But those searches ultimately leave us wanting. We tend to forget that...

Songs from the Heart Reading Plan Week 2

WEEK TWO Songs of Confidence Have you ever been awake in the middle of the night feeling overwhelmed or afraid? When David and the other psalmists were feeling this way, they expressed their unfailing confidence in the goodness, power and deliverance of God. This week...

You Are Above All

God invites us to authentically express what we’re feeling when we ponder life’s realities. Many of these expressions are recorded for us in the Psalms—the songbook of the Bible. Psalm 8 is a Psalm of praise. In it, David encourages us to instinctively look up and...

Songs from the Heart Reading Plan week 1

WEEK ONE Songs of Praise Majestic. Glorious. Excellent. Perfect. True. Gracious. Merciful. Awesome. The Psalms of Praise help put into God’s greatness into words. This week as you read through these songs that worship God for who He is, may you be filled with awe and...