[[-SOAP HUB]] | [[-Psalm Overview]] | [[Psalm 17]] ## Title: Praying for Justice ## Scripture: (Psalm 17:13-14) “Rise up, Lord! Confront him. Knock him down. Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man. Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, from the murderers of this world. They enjoy prosperity; you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. They have many children, and leave their wealth to their offspring.” (NET) ## Observation: Throughout his life, David experienced his fair share of difficulty. There were many times when he had every right to pray for God’s righteous justice to fall on his enemies. David had to run and hide from King Saul while being innocent. David was deposed as king by his evil son, Absalom. David had his own men go behind his back and do evil. However, we see a helpful pattern on how to handle the evil done toward us. We pray for God’s righteous justice to be done. This is important because we do not always know the full story. Most people we consider our enemies are not as bad as we think but are more broken than we realize. This does not excuse sinful behavior, but it does help begin to explain it. The uncomfortable reality is this is also a possible way to explain ourselves. We are not as bad as some people may think we are, and we are in the process of healing from brokenness that they do not see. Therefore, we pray for God’s justice because He knows more than we do. We also take the next step to protect or do what’s right. However, we leave the ultimate justice to Him. He is the only One worthy to judge us all. ## Application: Who do you need to give to the Lord today? ## Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for Your endless mercy and righteous judgment.