Psalm 43

Hope in God

Vindicate:  To exact revenge for; avenge.  To clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting arguments or proof. 

Most of us are aware of the story:  that Michael Jordan - perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time - was cut from his varsity team as a sophomore at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina.  He later made the team and led them to a state championship.  He became a standout at the University of North Carolina on the Tar Heels' National Championship team, is known around the globe for his NBA performances with the Chicago Bulls, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.  His failure to make the team in high school was vindicated by his athletic success and fame. 

Albert Einstein is considered one of the smartest men in the world.  Einstein, for his part, did so poorly in school that when his father asked his son’s headmaster what profession his son should adopt, the answer was simply, "It doesn’t matter; he’ll never make a success of anything.”  He was vindicated by his theory of general relativity and the Nobel Prize in physics, among many other areas of critical thinking.

We all know how good it feels to be vindicated . . . how frustrating it is to be misunderstood or wrongly accused.  Psalm 43 opens with a prayer to God for vindication before ungodly enemies:

Vindicate me, O God, 

and plead my cause against an ungodly nation;

Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!  ~ Ps. 43:1 

May we, like the Psalmist, turn to God for our vindication and not exact revenge on our enemies.  It's hard to not take matters into our own hands . . .

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.  I am the Lord.  ~ Lev. 19:18

• WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is my vindicator
• God is my strength & my hope
• God is my exceeding joy
• God helps my countenance

 HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise God that He leads me with His light and His truth.
• I praise God that my exceeding joy is found in Him alone
• I praise God that, in times of frustration of injustice, GOD SEES and is my deliverer

 PRAYER:

     Father, my heart rests in You.  May I not needlessly carry the worries of this life.

     Thank You that You are my vindicator and deliverer in times of injustice.  Lord, this is so difficult for me to bear personally, and to observe when it’s happening to others.  Injustice is so wrong, and it tears at the fabric of our human hearts.   Teach  me how to handle time of injustice, O Lord - when to speak out against it, and how to trust You for my vindication for acts of injustice against me. 

     Lead me O God, with Your light and truth.  May I never stray from Your path, nor lean on mine own understanding.  May I find my joy in You, and place my hope in You alone.

     In Jesus’ name I pray - Amen