The Blessing and Suffering of the Godly
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1 Blessed is he who considers the poor;
The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
2 The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive,
And he will be blessed on the earth;
You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
3 The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
You will sustain him on his sickbed.
- Lord, help me to see the needs of others and minister to them.
- Let me not get so caught up in my own desires that real needs are not noticed.
- Keep me and help me as I help others.
4 I said, “LORD, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”
5 My enemies speak evil of me:
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And if he comes to see me, he speaks lies;
His heart gathers iniquity to itself;
When he goes out, he tells it.
- God, give me mercy in my faults and failures. Help me to walk in holiness all my days.
- When I do fail, forgive me and help me restore my reputation among my friends and loved ones.
- Show me how to make amends to those I have harmed.
7 All who hate me whisper together against me;
Against me they devise my hurt.
8 “An evil disease,” they say, “clings to him.
And now that he lies down, he will rise up no more.”
9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.
- Lord, I know that trust is hard to regain, and people are not always forgiving.
- Lead me in how I can regain the confidence of those I love, and help me to triumph over my enemies.
- When I am weak, make me strong!
10 But You, O LORD, be merciful to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
11 By this I know that You are well pleased with me,
Because my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And set me before Your face forever.13 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.
- Lord, help me when my enemies swarm against me.
- Give me vindication and show me that You care about me and are pleased with me. My humanity is weak at times, but You are strong and Your Spirit upholds me in integrity.
- Blessed are You, O LORD, and everlasting are you in all the earth. I praise You and declare over those praises, “So be it!”
Devoted To You 