Gay Christian Devotion
Psalm 9 (King James Version)
I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:
That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
Reflection
This psalm starts with praises to God. After lengthy praises, the psalm turns to a prayer for assistance. The prayer is that the Lord will rescue the psalmist, so the Lord can be praised through personal testimonies of God's salvation. The structure of this pslam reminds us that there are cycles in life. During the mountain-top periods of life, we feel like singing praises to the Lord. In the valley periods of life, we may feel the entire world stands against us and that we need to be rescued from harm. The good news is that God is with us through the good and the bad.
There are times when those who attack gay people seem to be completely powerful. They might even appear to the entire world to have powerful political friends and popular support. The Lord is able to protect His gay children from attacks. When God helps ensure gay people are able to have basic human rights, the world sees that politically powerful homonegative public figures are humans, not gods.
I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:
That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
Reflection
This psalm starts with praises to God. After lengthy praises, the psalm turns to a prayer for assistance. The prayer is that the Lord will rescue the psalmist, so the Lord can be praised through personal testimonies of God's salvation. The structure of this pslam reminds us that there are cycles in life. During the mountain-top periods of life, we feel like singing praises to the Lord. In the valley periods of life, we may feel the entire world stands against us and that we need to be rescued from harm. The good news is that God is with us through the good and the bad.
There are times when those who attack gay people seem to be completely powerful. They might even appear to the entire world to have powerful political friends and popular support. The Lord is able to protect His gay children from attacks. When God helps ensure gay people are able to have basic human rights, the world sees that politically powerful homonegative public figures are humans, not gods.
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