Daily Devotional Thursday 23rd March 2023
by William MoodyPsalm 72
Give the King Your Justice
Of Solomon.
72:1 Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!
5 May they fear you1 while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth!
7 In his days may the righteous flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River2 to the ends of the earth!
9 May desert tribes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust!
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts!
11 May all kings fall down before him,
all nations serve him!
12 For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live;
may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field!
17 May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
all nations call him blessed!
18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!
20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.(ESV)
This Psalm of Solomon is about righteous and fruitful leadership. The opening verses focus a lot on righteousness (v1-2). It is seen as the pathway to prosperity (v3).
In our own lives, in the life of our church and nation our primary focus must be on righteousness, doing what is right by God. When we seek this first, all other things will fall into place (Matthew 6 v33). Is righteousness a priority in your life and in your praying?
Righteousness will be seen particularly in how we treat those weaker than ourselves who are in need (v4, 12-14).
A righteous reign will be a fruitful reign as it will be like rain falling to bless a dry land (v6-7). We need to pray for our leaders to be like showers of blessing. We need to pray for ourselves to be a shower of blessing to others.
This Psalm finds ultimate fulfilment in Solomon’s greatest descendant the Lord Jesus. He is the only perfect righteous ruler who delivers the needy and draws ultimately homage from across the whole world. We need to pray for His kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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