Shepherd of the Hills - Richfield, Wisconsin
Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
Psalm 10 (NIV)
1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. 3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord. 4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. 5 His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies. 6 He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.” 7 His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. 8 He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush, he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims; 9 like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. 10 His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. 11 He says to himself, “God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees.” 12 Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. 13 Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”? 14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out. 16 The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. 17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.
How can both verse 1 and 14 be true?
Verse 1 is from a human perspective. Although God has promised never to leave or forsake us,
He can seem far away and non-responsive.
Verse 14 is a recognition by the Psalmist that God does see our troubles, and knows our grief,
and will “take it in hand” to answer our prayers.
Heavenly Father, it seems that our lives can change in a moment. The times we live in now are unlike anything we have seen before. People and things we thought we could depend on are now shaken. Evil seems to reign supreme with little challenge. False images and promises cloud the truth. Hate and lies are common yet compassion is championed by the arrogant and evildoers. We know that you are with us, yet at times it can seem like you are allowing evil to prosper. Help us to trust you more so that we can bring your light into these dark times. Guide
us Holy Spirit to speak and act in Your inspired ways that bring hope to so many who are helpless. We are reminded in this chapter of Psalms that you see the troubles and hear the desires of the afflicted. You encourage them, and you listen to their cry. We remember your past victories, God, against the cruel enemies of Your people. We find hope and surety in Your promises. We know that Your Ways are higher than our ways. Help and guide us to know when to take action and when to wait on you, Lord. Prepare our hearts, guide our prayers through the Holy Spirit, hear our petitions and help us to trust in your timely answers. In Jesus Holy name, Amen
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