I ambled slowly through the first ten psalms today. It is good sometimes to have no time limit as we read Scripture, but rather just read and think for as long as you wish. The tenth psalm presents so well the quandry we believers deal with daily. We believe in a loving God who is ultimately in control. Yet we see around us on a personal and national scale so much sin, pain and injustice.
We should be encouraged when we read to find that our "caught between the two" feelings are three thousand years old. The struggle between heartfelt questions of God and warm, confident faith in God is nothing new but rather is a commonality among all true believers. Consider the contrast between the statements of struggle and of faith expressed by the psalmist centuries age; and take heart.
Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? vs. 1
Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. vs. 12
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. vs. 14
You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror. vs. 17, 18
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We should be encouraged when we read to find that our "caught between the two" feelings are three thousand years old. The struggle between heartfelt questions of God and warm, confident faith in God is nothing new but rather is a commonality among all true believers. Consider the contrast between the statements of struggle and of faith expressed by the psalmist centuries age; and take heart.
Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? vs. 1
Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. vs. 12
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. vs. 14
You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror. vs. 17, 18
15
We do live by faith, not by sight. Like the psalmist in these verses, we both wonder why God does not seem to "hide" or to "forget"; and yet at the same time we affirm that God does see, does hear and indeed does intervene. Our thoughts and perspectives are not the same as His; our all knowing, all powerful and all loving God. We hold on to an eternal perspective, believing there will be a final day of judging and of rewarding.
As an old year draws to a close; a new year with unknown challenges looms ahead. We choose with the psalmist to believe and to rest in our God. We often will not understand, but always we will trust Him who loves us and gave Himself for us.
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