Psalm 70
1 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
O Lord, make haste to help me!
2 Let those be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who desire to hurt me.
3 Let those who say, “Aha, Aha!”
turn back because of their shame.
4 Let all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!”
5 But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay!
O Lord, make haste to help me!
After all the preaching and begging we’ve been doing about behaving well after the elections, we get a Psalm that’s filled with retribution!!! This is not helpful today.
As you know, we write these devotions the night before your read them. Right now, it’s early Tuesday evening and I’m writing with the election covered playing in the background. It feels like the whole country is holding its breath for what our choir director called, “the current most important election in American history”. By the time you read this, we’ll have a general idea of who the overall winners and losers are.
Of course, the simple fact that I’m thinking in terms of winners and losers is unhealthy. In a healthy election, everyone makes their preference known while pledging to support and encourage whoever wins. Sitting around asking God to rain down retribution on the heads of those on the other side is not only unhealthy, it’s a sin. It is equally unhealthy and sinful to gloat and retaliate if we find ourselves on the winning side.
By the time you read this, some of us will be delighted and some of us will be disappointed. We will, however, all still be sisters and brothers in Christ. There is simply no room for anything other than reconciliation within that relationship.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you know all our human frailties and foibles. Raise us above our basest instincts and bind us together in your love. AMEN