The Mind of Christ

Psalm 109:21 But you, O God my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me

Psalm 109, a psalm of David, expresses a strong desire for God’s judgment and punishment on his enemies. David desires judgement and intervention from God on the people that have done him wrong. This is just the surface level and the feelings that David is expressing is typical of how we often feel towards injustice in our lives. For example, I had this friend in college named Kevin. We coached wrestling together for a local middle school and when I was to be paid he “stiffed” me. I was so mad that I spent hours coaching and didn’t get paid. To get my “revenge” or justice I have named any cat that we have had over the years “Kevin”. (BTW I don’t like cats) I am now up to Kevin XIV! The sad part is I have been holding on to this for years..so who really won???Just like David and myself we all have this sense of justice that is just ingrained into us, it is harmful and although David writes this Psalm on the surface it may seem David only desires justice but in reality and with a little study we find out so much more about our Redeemer!

The broader reflection of this Psalm is the  consequences of evil and a cry for God’s intervention in the face of wickedness. In verse 4 it says that David “gave himself into prayer” David realized that he can’t make things right and needs to go to the one person that can..Christ! Our feelings lie to us and tell us we must make it right, get what’s coming to us, and make the one who is wrong pay for their mistakes. However Romans 12:19 specifically states: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord”. God will make right all the wrong and we can trust that His plan is better than our plan. Although David is talking about a temporal experience he  had with his enemies the bigger picture is that Christ will once and for all eternity… end sin, Satan, and the desire for evil. Revelation 20:10. ESV and the devil who had deceived them were thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

David ends with our focus verse saying that he can trust in the Providencial plan because it will be accomplished not by himself (man’s will) but it will be accomplished through the love that God has for him and because of His own Name!!Romans 9:22 says,  What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—What is being highlighted in this text is essentially what David is trying to express in the Psalm. That God has the power and the authority to judge the guilty while simultaneously showing grace and mercy to His children.

The battle has been won! The battle has been won! The battle has been won! Say that over and over…out loud, in your heart, and in your mind! The battle has been won on account of Christ. There is no need for you to hold on to anger and injustice…give that to God and He is sure to deal with it. Instead run to him and soak up the grace and forgiveness that he pours out to you and in turn you can pour out to your “neighbors!”