Rise Up, Speak Up, and Defend!

Psalms 72:12-14 NLT

“He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.”

What a King we serve! And what a hope-inspiring passage of scripture this is, reminding us that we will one day live under the reign of King Jesus—an eternal reign of justice! 

But in reading this, I couldn't help but think, Jesus, if you defend the cause of the poor, oppressed, weak and needy, then why is there poverty, oppression, and injustice? Surely this isn't your will! And in fact, it isn't the moral will of our Great King at all that evil runs rampant and that the weak suffer at the hands of the cruel. However, the world we live in is under the control of the evil one (1 Jn. 5:19). 

One day, Jesus will reign over all and everything will be made right. But until then, what do we do? Jesus gives us a hint in the Lord's prayer: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10 NIV). As Christians, we are to pray that God's will for justice be done on earth now as it will be in eternity. 

Additionally, God instructs us in this way: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Prov. 31:8-9). God challenges His children to be His hands and feet—to fight for the sake of the poor, oppressed, weak, and needy. And in the book of Acts, we see the early church doing just that! (Acts 2:44-45, 4:32-35, 6:1-7, and 11:29-30.)

Lord, we come humbly before you. We thank you that you became poor so that we might become rich in you. Thank you for saving us when we were lost. Now Lord, we ask that you breathe upon us and give us courage. Give us the courage to make a difference in a world full of evil. May we hear the cry of those who are suffering. May we defend those who cannot defend themselves. We ask that your Spirit of justice would move within us to act, so as to eliminate all injustice that you bring before us to change. It is only by your grace that we can do this. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!

All praise, all glory, all honor be to God forever in the Righteous and Everlasting Name of Jesus of Nazareth! Amen and Amen!