Psalm 35
Dear RTB’ers,
Much of today’s Psalm is David speaking about his enemies, about how they are going after his life. There were, however, two verses that spoke to me differently. First, For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit. (v. 20) Here I thought of scammers who prey on the elderly, in particular, but who go after anyone whom they think they can fleece. Targeted deceptions and robocalls going after ill-gotten gains.
The other verse struck me in a different way – it concerns the topic that I am teaching today, LDCs (lesser developed countries) and international trade: “O LORD, who is like You, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?” (v. 10b) For centuries leaders and entrepreneurs in the more advanced countries have taken advantage of African and Latin American people. Think of all the colonization by the English, Spanish, Portuguese, French. Think of the slave trade from Africa to the USA. Think of the oil barons getting wealthy with their investments in the Middle East, and thousands more examples worldwide. Where is the Lord’s deliverance of these oppressed people? We see it in individual and governmental foreign aid and investment. We see it in Christian missionaries and ARDF-type organizations teaching and building schools and churches and digging wells – and sometimes simply providing food to the needy. We even see it in international attempts like UNCTAD and international commodity agreements aimed at creating a more even playing field in international trade markets. The Lord is at work for the poor and needy, working through His people, you and me. I’m thinking right now of Avanza and of St. Andrew’s support for BKD in Uganda, our sponsored girls in particular. The Lord is working, through His people. Be one of them!
Blessings!
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