8th December 2025

You do not have to look far or hard to find people treated unfairly or being oppressed. King David was no stranger to oppression as he spent years trying to outrun King Saul. Sometimes we find that God acts quickly in our defence and at times we wait for an answer. It is not God who is being unjust, it is us with our greedy and hateful ways. After all the generations of humankind, hopefully learning from our mistakes, we still have not learned love and compassion for one another.

I love the way David begins the psalm in our header scipture with praise for God. He speaks of God’s goodness and forgiveness, the miraculous healing, compassion and love he has for us. When he says in verse 4 that God redeems us from the pit and crowns us with love and compassion, he is talking about more than a swift rescue from our trials, this goes much deeper than a temporary pause of trouble in our lives. This is the rescue of our life, salvation undeserved and love poured out to us that is never ending. This is love that we as his children are still in the process of learning how to give. 

As we pray for those around the world that are being persecuted, that have just lived through the worse day of their lives, and those who are misreading the purpose for their lives, we are joining God in the love he has for our fellow brothers and sisters; this includes those who do not yet understand who their God really is, and have not come to accept God as the answer to the emptiness in their lives. Despite our unkindness, despite our cruelty to one another, God is faithful, God is just. God will right the wrongs in our lives because he is a God of mercy. God can only be good and righteous.

David’s focus in this psalm is on the good things he is blessed with. He sees God working in every aspect of his life. It is a matter of perception. We can focus on what we believe is an affront in our lives, or we can focus on the blessings God pours out to us in our lives. David trusted God would fight his battles for him, David was clear about who blessed him in his life, because all good things come from God.

We had a powerful storm going through our area this week. The wind reached 60 mph and I could feel the house vibrate from the force of the wind. Branches and pinecones rained down on the roof and walls. I was grateful for the protection of God, and I thank him that the windows did not break and the roof held. The power pole for our irrigation pump didn’t manage as well though; it broke off at the base. I could focus on the damage done, on the fact that we now needed to replace the pole and the breaker box, or I could rejoice that no one was hurt and that a fire did not start from the fall of the electrical wires. I chose to rejoice in the protection and mercy of God.

Along with David, I pray:

¹ Psalm 103:1-5 (NLT)

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