I Am Baptized
3 Do you not know that all of us
who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk
in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death
like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
(Rom. 6:3-5 ESV)
Make the sign of the cross as you say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
I Believe …
I believe that Jesus Christ,
true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the
Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person,
purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the
devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His
innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His
kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness,
just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is
most certainly true.
Bible Reading – Psalm 10
Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have
devised.
3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for
gain curses and renounces the Lord.
4 In the pride of his face the wicked does
not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5 His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet
adversity.”
7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit
and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
8 He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 he lurks in ambush like a
lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
10 The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see
it.”
12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your
hand;
forget not the afflicted.
13 Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to
account”?
14 But you do see, for you note mischief and
vexation,
that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless commits himself;
you have been the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till you find none.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline
your ear
18 to do justice to the fatherless and the
oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror
no more.[1]
Take a closer look at verses 17 and 18. They say, “O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.”
As the psalmist speaks of the afflicted, the fatherless, and the oppressed, it is important for us to see these images as the most vulnerable people. These are people who, in and of themselves, have little to no hope, strength, or protection.
On one hand, this psalm teaches us to intercede on behalf of others. We live in a world in which there is injustice, wickedness, and wrong-doing. Harm is done to other people. In this fallen world, the very systems in which we trust to do good to those who need help in our communities fall short and are sometimes marred with inequities. Many of the world’s problems are obvious, overwhelming, and beyond our power to fix, so we call out to God even as we seek to live in love and do right by our neighbors. (Even if we cannot fix the world, we can strive to do right by the people in our communities!)
On the other hand, the psalm challenge us to see ourselves as those who, in and of ourselves, have no hope, strength, or protection. There is a call here urging us to place ourselves under God’s mercy, the mercy that we know most fully in Jesus who died and rose for us. We trust God’s mercy even when we are feeling the perceived absence and crying out for God’s salvation. The psalmist calls us to trust that the LORD is king forever, and that the things of this world – even the nations – perish so these things do not strike terror in our hearts.
The challenge of Psalm 10 is the question: Who or what will be your god? Where will you place your hope? Where or in whom will you seek the good you need? It leaves us with a statement of faith in God – that he does what is just and right, and acts on our behalf to save his people. Thanks be to God that we’ve experienced that salvation through faith in Jesus, but we still find ourselves waiting for the day when Christ will return and make all things right – even raising us from the grave (where we are utterly powerless) freeing us from the sin that entangles our lives. Until then, when we look at the world we will sometimes wonder, “Where is God?” and we will walk by faith trusting his promises … promises that he will keep because he is faithful.
Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer
The
Fourth Petition: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Heavenly Father, You give daily
bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in
this petition that You would lead us to realize this so that we receive our
daily bread with thanksgiving. Make us mindful of all that You give us that has
to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing,
shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife,
devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government,
good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends,
faithful neighbors, and help us to always give thanks to You; in Jesus’ name we
pray. Amen.
Prayer
Pray
about the creation. This certainly includes things like pollution and proper
care for creation, but it also includes growing seasons, the bounty of the
earth, food for the hungry, and every aspect of bodily life.
Benediction
The LORD will keep you from all
evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming
in from this time forth and forevermore. (Ps. 121:7-8 ESV)
[1] English
Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good
News Publishers.
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