A Final Prayer
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!” Psalm 72:18,19 ESV
At the end of this psalm we find a notation that, “the prayers of David….are ended.” (Psalm 72:20 ESV) So, it is of interest what David’s desire is from himself and for his son Solomon as they reign over God’s people. We consistently see a plea for righteousness and justice, especially justice for the poor.
“May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!” (Psalm 72:2 ESV) It is often said that the character of a nation is reflected in how it treats the less and the least. This is something that we see throughout scripture. In Proverbs we read, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.” (Proverbs 19:17 NIV) In this we certainly see the Lord’s view of the dignity of all humanity, regardless of their economic condition.
Jesus said that poverty will be present at all times and in all circumstances. “You will always have the poor among you…” (Matthew 26:11 NLT) As a result, we face challenges with poverty in our day, as much as any time in history.
As David prays for blessing on the “King” he points to his righteous actions and his compassion and protection. “For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.” (Psalm 72:12,13 ESV)
Then we see that righteous governance results in recognition and favor among the “nations.”
“May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!” (Psalm 72:17 ESV)
As David ends this psalm, he does so not with a petition for help, but a praise to the Lord for who He is and what He does.
The Lord alone is the One who always does wondrous things. He is to be forever praised. While human reputation may be wide spread, only the Lord is the One whose glory can fill all the earth.
May the God of wisdom, continue to provide to leaders the wisdom needed to be righteous leaders, who administer justice in a way that honors the Lord.
Prayer for today…. Lord, we can only lead and be wise when we recognize that You are the One who grants the strength and the wisdom, to be righteous and just. Continue to teach us how to apply that to our lives in the midst of all the challenges we face in our world today in rightly responding to those in need.