The Lord Executes Judgment

God's Prophets Demand Justice
Amos Rails against Injustice

Micah Calls for Justice among Unjust People


No Rest for the Wicked

Psalm 9:15-20  The Message

^15-16 They’re trapped, those godless countries,
    in the very snares they set,
Their feet all tangled
    in the net they spread.
They have no excuse;
    the way God works is well-known.
The cunning machinery made by the wicked
    has maimed their own hands.

^17-20 The wicked bought a one-way
    ticket to hell.
No longer will the poor be nameless—
    no more humiliation for the humble.
Up, God! Aren’t you fed up with their empty strutting?
    Expose these grand pretensions!
Shake them up, God!
    Show them how silly they look.

For Reflection 

The wicked are maimed by their own hands.  What folly it is to think that we can tell God how to conduct God's business.  We know that judgment is God's prerogative.  So why, I ask, are we so hell bent on declaring judgment and assigning blame; or more arrogantly, taking punishment into our own hands and assuming rewards from God for doing so?  Is our fight for justice only about assigning responsibility and extracting retribution?

Pray

that you look for sin in your own heart.  Pray that you will repent for your transgressions.  Pray for the grace of God to heal you when you are faced with human dilemmas, where possible action may lead to sin.  Pray for mercy and forgiveness.  Pray for those who choose to separate themselves from God.  Pray that all people will find their way to peace.