Psalm Photos -72 - Leaders
Psalm 72
Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.
May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May his foes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service.
For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.
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 day long.
May there be abundance of grain in the land; may it wave on the tops of the mountains; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field.
May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun. May all nations be blessed in him; may they pronounce him happy.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.
The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.
----- This is a shot of a portrait of Pres. Obama that we have that was given to us as a gift. I thought of this portrait as I read this Psalm today. I was reminded the Pres. Obama as well as every other leader are not just one dimensional figures like a portrait on a wall. Each one of them is a person, a person in need of prayer. This passage today is a prayer for the King – a prayer asking for wisdom, courage, strength, justice, and compassion. Regardless of how we feel about our leaders – Republicans, Democrats, conservative, liberal, moderate – none of them are the one dimensional figures they are made out to be. But all are in need of our prayers, regardless of whether we agree like or support them. In Romans 13, Paul speaks of how all leaders are God ordained. Jesus speaks of giving to Caesar what is Caesar's. In the midst of the partisan political arguments we witness and in which we participate, may we continue to pray for all of our leaders that they may have wisdom, courage, strength, justice, and compassion.