The writer of this Psalm knows God hears when his people call out to him, yet he is willing to cry out with doubts in time of trouble.
He talks with the Lord, telling him of the terrible things
the wicked are doing to the weak and how the wicked care nothing for God. And,
in the end, he knows the Lord will help those who cry out to him.
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 for ever 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.
Lord, help me to daily commit myself to you. Thank you that you care about what I care about, that you encourage me, that you are my Father.
A great reminder that even though we will have trouble, God is always there! Thank you for sharing, Kathy!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Patti.:)
DeleteAlso, a great reminder that even those in Old Testament times were human with human frailties, just like us. It's okay to ask God anything. All we have to do is remember to accept His Will, no matter what it may be. Thanks Kathy.
ReplyDeleteWe're still struggling with summer here in the Houston area. Maybe next week we'll see the fall. :)
Thank you.:)
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