“The LORD is a refuge for the persecuted, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you because you have not abandoned those who seek you, LORD.” 9:9-10
In these Psalms, David cries out to God for justice. He proclaims that the wicked often prosper, but God will win in the end and He is standing with His people until that time. This is not always easy to see. The world does seem to be getting more wicked every day and injustice only grows more oppressive with each passing moment. In a world that prides itself on tolerance, there seems to be more and more oppression of the truth and more travesties of justice than ever. I guess to quote that old song, it is true that God “never promised us a rose garden.” There is good in the world, but until Jesus comes again there will also be bad.
David is pretty honest in his assessment here… there will be trouble, but the LORD is with us in trouble. There will be persecution, but He is a refuge in times of trouble. Everything is not always rosy, but he has promised to not abandon those who seek Him. For those of us who live in the West, this is a promise that means a lot. However, for many of our brothers and sisters around the world, this is the promise which gets them through the day. You might not realize this, but more Christians have been martyred for their faith in the last 20 years than were martyred in the previous 2000 years combined. All around the world, there are Christians who are languishing in prison, losing jobs and families, and often dying because they are “seeking the LORD.” We get prayer requests all the time for people who are genuinely suffering and persecuted for their faith. It is almost surreal and something we mistakenly think is a thing of the past.
Why don’t you stop for a moment and thank God for the blessings you experience in your own life… then take some time and pray for those who are coming to faith in spite of inconceivable opposition. Pray that God would sustain them, pray they would be faithful in times of stress, and pray that they would be a witness to Him and that others would follow their example of sacrificial obedience.
