She saves those who obey Her. She is fair in Her judgments and does not tolerate wickedness. The corrupt, who do not change their ways, will know the brunt of Her holy fury and will feel the pain of Her discipline. The arrogant do not know this about Her. They think up and plan evil, trouble and deception. They set traps. And in Her wisdom, they are caught in their own cunning. They are punished by their own evil. They are wounded by their own violence. Sing praises for El Shaddai’s justice that resolves the brokenness of our lives and shows Her glory.
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8. Mortal: Sovereign God, Your greatness is seen in all the world. Your praise reaches up to the heavens and is sung by children and babies. You are safe and secure in the presence of those who despise You. When I look at the sky, which You have made; at the moon and the stars, which You set in their places; what are we, that You think of us? Who are mere mortals, that You care for us? Yet we believe that You have made us inferior only to Yourself and You have crowned us with glory and honor. You appointed us over everything You made. You placed us as stewards of all Creation: sheep, cattle, animals that roam in the wild, and all creatures of the sea. O Sovereign God, Your greatness is evident wherever we are in all the world.
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9. Mortal: I will praise You, Sovereign God, with all my heart. I will tell of all the wonderful deeds You have accomplished. I will sing with joy because of You. I will sing praise to You, gentle and wonderful Creator. My enemies sense Your presence and stay away, for they know of Your fair and honest judgments. You treat harshly those who reject You and those who know better, but do wrong anyway. Even their homes are not safe from Your fury. You, O God, are Sovereign for all times. It is Your justice that prevails, and Your Commandments that ultimately are followed. You are a refuge for the oppressed and a place of safety in times of trouble. Those who know You, trust You, for You do not abandon anyone who seeks You.
Mediator: Sing praises to El Shaddai, who rules over all people. Tell every nation what She has accomplished. She remembers those who suffer and does not forget their cry. She punishes those who are cruel to the downtrodden.
Mortal: Be merciful to me, El Shaddai. See how I am suffering. Rescue me from death that I may stand before the powerful and speak of all that causes me to praise You. I rejoice because You save me from myself and others.
Mediator: The violent have fallen into the pits they have dug for others. El Shaddai has been revealed by Her fair and faithful judgments, and those who are corrupt are imprisoned in their own scheming. Death is the destiny of all who reject God. And the needy will not always be neglected. The hope of the poor will not be crushed forever.
Mortal: El Shaddai, do not let others defy You! Make them afraid. Make them know that they are only mortal beings.
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10. Mortal: O God, hear my prayer and listen to my pleading. Answer me in Your faithfulness. Be generous to me and do not condemn me, remembering that before You, no one is sinless.
Mediator: The wicked are proud of their selfish desires. The greedy curse and reject and do not care about God. In their arrogance, they think God does not matter. Strangely, the violent are often successful in this world, and they cannot understand God’s judgments. So they sneer and think they will never fail nor ever be in trouble. Their speech is filled with curses, lies, and threats. They are quick to speak hateful, evil words. These folk hide in their communities waiting to do great harm to innocent people like the predators that they are. They lie in wait for the poor, to catch and oppress them. The helpless victims lie crushed by the brute strength of those who think that God doesn’t care; that God’s eyes are closed and will never see this oppression.
Mortal: Sovereign God, punish those hurtful people. Remember the ones who suffer. How can the violent go on thinking You will not punish them? But You do see. You take notice of the trouble and suffering, the heartache and degradation. You are ready to help those who are faithful to You. You have always helped the needy in Your time and Your way. I pray that You will break the power of the oppressors. Punish them for the wrong they do until they cease.
Mediator: God is Sovereign over all principalities and powers, even death itself. Those who worship other gods will vanish from the earth. God will listen to the prayers of the lowly and will give them courage. God will hear the cries of the oppressed and the orphans and will judge in their favor. God will bring peace!
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11. Mortal: I trust in the Sovereign God for my safety. How foolish for you to say, “Fly away, like a bird, to the mountains.” The predators are out to get me as I walk in fear. There is nothing I can do when everything falls apart.
Mediator: El Shaddai is all powerful on high. She watches people everywhere and knows what they are doing. She examines the good and the bigoted alike. She rages over those who love violence. She can send fire and hot coals and a scorching dry wind to destroy the greedy thoughts of people. El Shaddai is merciful and just. She loves good deeds, and those who act faithfully will live in Her presence.
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12. Mortal: Help us, O God! There don’t seem to be any good folk remaining, nor can one who is honest be found. All of us lie to one another. We deceive each other with flattery. Silence these arrogant tongues, O God. Close our boastful mouths that say, “With our words we get what we want. We will say what we wish, and no one can stop us.”
Mother: I will intervene, because the needy are oppressed and the persecuted groan in pain. I will give them the well-being for which they pray.
Mediator: The promises of El Shaddai can be trusted. They are as genuine as silver that is refined to its highest purity. She shall lift up the poor and guard them forever from this perverse and hard-hearted generation.
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13. Mortal: O my God, will You forget me forever? How much longer will You hide Yourself from me? How must I endure trouble? How long will sorrow fill my heart day and night? How long will my enemies triumph over me? Answer me, El Shaddai, for You are my only hope. Bring me into the light, lest I sleep in death. Do not let the ones, who wish to harm me, overcome my resistance or take more advantage of my weakness. I rely on Your constant love. I will sing for joy when You draw me into Your safe embrace, as You have before.
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14. Mediator: Only fools think that there is no God. They are corrupt and act in awful ways. None of them does anything good. El Shaddai considers them from on high, searching for any mortal who bows down to worship Her. But the foolish have all gone astray; every one of them is empty and broken.
Mother: Don’t these foolish souls know? How can all these arrogant folk be so ignorant? They live by cunning and dishonesty, taking from others what does not belong to them, and they never truly pray to Me.
Mediator: But the time will come when they will see that El Shaddai sides with the faithful and the humble. The efforts to destroy the poor will be frustrated. She protects Her own. It is El Shaddai’s people who will be lead to salvation. The blessed and precious people will rejoice when She lifts them and restores them.
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15. Mediator: I raise these questions. Who may enter Your holy presence? Who may climb Your sacred hill and worship You there?
Mother: Anyone who obeys Me in every way and is good to others, whose words are true and sincere and who does not slander others; those who do not wrong their friends and do not spread rumors about their neighbors; those who reject the arrogant and self-satisfied, but honor those who are obedient to Me; those who make good promises and faithfully carry them out, no matter their
