Daily Devotion

Thursday, January 29, 2026  

Today's Scripture
Psalm 143

Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness; answer me in your righteousness.
Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.
For the enemy has pursued me, crushing my life to the ground, making me sit in darkness like those long dead.
Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.
I remember the days of old, I think about all your deeds, I meditate on the works of your hands.
I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.
Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me, or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
Save me, O Lord, from my enemies; I have fled to you for refuge.
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.
For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life. In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.
In your steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries, for I am your servant. (NRSV)

In times of suffering, how great vengeance seems. Especially by God. Especially when one is suffering, when we can’t understand what is happening, what other people are doing. If they would just do it our way, then everything would make sense.

This psalm (like many) alternates between suffering and vengeance. A lot of the time in our frail human lives, suffering seems to be mitigated with thoughts of vengeance. This is usually the cinematic approach in all our favorite movies.

Even more righteous if God takes vengeance for us! But while this psalm speaks to the truth of “getting even,” it also shows more so that through the despair, there is a willingness to surrender that despair to God.

Through this surrender, we can see that with God’s love, we can be led to level ground. We are brought up to entrust our lives to God, the outcomes to God. To be able to see God’s face, to feel God’s unfailing love, to be rescued, and to be hidden in God. To be nourished as rain on parched land. Surrender does not mean giving up. Surrender does not mean we don’t do anything. In fact, it’s a true faith that surrenders to God because it is a belief that something greater than our meager human hands can create and compose; it’s a belief that we are all taken care of, no matter the situation, circumstance or difficulty. It is like parched earth waiting for rain.

Prayer

Loving and gracious God, please hear our painful, pitiful cries of suffering, of vengeance, of what we think will give us peace. Then please also remind us that to surrender this to you we are creating and believing in ultimate faith in you — that you will not forget us, you will not allow us to continue suffering, that you will not allow us vengeance — that instead you will make us aware, slowly, of your grand plan for your creation to act as the writer and co-creater of this movie of life and not the underdog protagonist fighting against all odds. In your name we pray. Amen.

Written by Jessica Wang, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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