Howard Morrison writes about his encounters with God (and himself) in the Book of Psalms. One in the Walking the Walk series of posts on the spiritual practices of people in business.

Psalm 9:10 says, “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

I haven’t been able shake these words…

For the director of music. To [the tune of] “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.

You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever. Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.

The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.

The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion. Selah

The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God. But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah
— Psalm 9 New International Version

Psalm 9 is extremely intricate. It is one of those psalms that might be described as “heavy on God.” God is mentioned by name or pronoun over 35 times in 20 verses and God’s character is described dozens of times. I am particularly drawn to David’s declarations, “The LORD reigns forever … he has established his throne for judgment (7)… and, as the New American Standard Bible renders verse 16: “The LORD has made Himself known…”

Psalm 9 brings a sharp focus on the oppressed and the enemies who appear throughout. There is both justice and judgment here (the “nations” don’t fair too well in this psalm). There are significant contrasts in play: The enemies are judged and the righteous are protected; the wicked are forgotten and the afflicted remembered; God sits on a throne in Zion while the nations fall into pits of their own making.

Interestingly, David appears more as a narrator rather than someone personally involved in these events (with one exception in vs. 13, 14: “O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.”).

A few key principles surface:

• oppressors don’t have a chance before God (3, 5, 6, 16, 17, 19, 20)
• God is the champion of the oppressed (4, 9, 10, 12, 18)
• Only in God is there true security (7, 9, 10)
• God is worthy to be praised.

Here is the hard part for me: Where do I find myself in this psalm? Can I really say that I am oppressed and/or afflicted? Not really, no. I can’t even say I know many people personally who fall into these categories.

This psalm drove me to reflect on what oppression and affliction look like. I have to admit I’ve seen very little of either in my lifetime — I’m talking, up close and personal. It is easier to see if you leave the United States. All over the world there are orphans, widows, people persecuted for their ethnicity or politics or for following Christ, citizens treated unjustly by those in power, and multitudes who have simply been forgotten. Of course I know if I left the comfort of my home and work I would find suffering much closer to home (geographically) than I’ve allowed myself to experience. Our family has done a few things to stand with afflicted and oppressed people… but not enough; never enough.

I can’t help thinking of ways I have actually contributed to the oppression or affliction of others: Failing to remember someone who is hurting, turning my back on a need, laughing at someone, neglecting to follow through, keeping quiet about a situation that needs representation, allowing people to remain stuck in their plight, failing to provide hope when it was within my grasp to do so.

These actions (and failures to act) add up to an indictment…an indictment of me. I was looking for myself somewhere else in the psalm. I anticipated finding solidarity with those who are forsaken. Instead I am too often the one doing the forsaking. I didn’t expect to find myself in THAT part of the psalm. So I join David, crying, “Have mercy” (v. 13). I must become more like my Savior.

Looking back where we started in verse 10. “…for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” God has NEVER failed to remember me when I was hurting. God NEVER turned His back on me. He has NEVER laughed at me; NEVER failed to keep a promise. God is not capable of staying silent forever (…we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One! — 1 John 2:1) I have NEVER been alone even when I felt completely stuck. God has always been the substance of my hope.

“The LORD has made Himself known…” as the God who has never forsaken those who seek him. So, just as I join David’s cry for mercy, I also join him in praising the LORD with all my heart, telling of all his wonders (v. 1), and being glad and rejoicing in God and singing praises to His name (v. 2).

David concludes, “…the needy will not always be forgotten” (v. 18). I am so much needier than I have been willing to admit. I want these psalms to keep revealing who I really am…whether I like what I see or not. Because, more often than I like to admit, I am the enemy from whom I need to be rescued. Thank God he is able to perform that miracle too.

Howard Morrison is a partner in Arizona’s Morrison Ranch. He presently resides with his family in Austin, Texas.