Devotional for Ash Wednesday

St. Paul's UMC - Boulder, Colorado
Ash Wednesday 2022

Read Psalms 10-12

Psalm 10 (BRG Bible)

¹ Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself  in times of trouble? ² The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. ³ For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth. ⁴ The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

⁵ His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. ⁶ He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.  ⁷ His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. ⁸ He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. ⁹ He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. ¹⁰ He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

¹¹ He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it. ¹² Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble. ¹³ Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it. ¹⁴ Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless. ¹⁵ Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

¹⁶ The Lord is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land. ¹⁷ Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: ¹⁸ To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.