Today's Daily Bread

A REFUGE FOR THE OPPRESSED

Date : Saturday, February 14, 2026
Passage : Psalm 9:1~20
Keyverse : 9  
1
[For the director of music. To the tune of "The Death of the Son." A psalm of David.] I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
3
My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.
4
For you have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
5
You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6
Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.
7
The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.
8
He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.
9
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
10
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
11
Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12
For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
13
Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14
that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation.
15
The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16
The LORD is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
17
The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.
18
But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
19
Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence.
20
Strike them with terror, Lord; let the nations know they are only mortal.
In the subtitle, it says, to the tune of, “The death of the son.” This is a somber and grave time. David says in the psalm that many enemies persecute him, and he is by the gates of death (13). During this time of trial, what does David do?

He is giving thanks to God with all his heart (1a) and singing praises (2b). This is because he knows who God is, even though all the nations forgot God (17b).

God reigns forever (7a), and He judges the peoples with equity (8b). He is a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble (9). He never forgets the needy (18) and never forsakes those who seek Him (10b). David remembers all that God has done for him in spite of the hardships he faces. He keeps his faith and spirit.

Prayer: Lord, please remind me of what you have done for me. Strengthen me to stand firm, keep my faith, and praise your name.
One Word: God has been my refuge