Honest prayer in the face of injustice

Psalm 43

Declare me innocent, O God!
    Defend me against these ungodly people.
    Rescue me from these unjust liars.
² For you are God, my only safe haven.
    Why have you tossed me aside?
Why must I wander around in grief,
    oppressed by my enemies?
³ Send out your light and your truth;
    let them guide me.
Let them lead me to your holy mountain,
    to the place where you live.
⁴ There I will go to the altar of God,
    to God—the source of all my joy.
I will praise you with my harp,
    O God, my God!

⁵ Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!
⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

This psalm begins with a surprisingly honest complaint to God: “Why have you tossed me aside? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?”

Often, I keep my feelings on the inside – stewing on them rather than revealing them. But thinking about injustice towards me or about my negative feelings about something doesn’t help them go away. It helps my anger and bitterness to grow.

Faced with the oppression of his enemies’ false accusations, the psalmist is feeling rejected by God. But he doesn’t keep that inside. He’s not shy about telling God what he feels.

But he doesn’t stay in that place of bitterness and rejection. He knows God. He knows that God brings “light” and “faithful care”, so he asks for his care now. It’s interesting that, in the psalm, we don’t yet see God’s care arrive. Instead, we see the psalmist’s anticipation of that care and anticipation of being in God’s presence. And with that anticipation comes his response –praising God because of joy and delight in Him.

He finishes by encouraging himself to put his hope in God and move to that place of praise once again.

So, next time I experience injustice, I will

1. Make bringing it to God in prayer my first response.
2. Be open with God about my feelings.
3. Ask for his love and care.
4. Instead of staying in the place of bitterness, anticipate the joy in His presence.
5. Praise him even before I see his recue.

Lord, I know that some problems are much more complex than others and need more help. But I also know that you are a loving God, and you don’t want us to remain bitter. Please help us to get help when we need it, to know your love and care and to have renewed joy in your presence. Amen.

Written by Megan Cornell