Read Psalm 10:1-11. 1Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 2In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. 3For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. 4In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” 5His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. 6He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” 7His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. 8He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; 9he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. 10The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. 11He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
Are you ever discouraged by the injustice around you? David sure was. He was discouraged to the point that he even asked God why he was standing so far away and hiding in times of trouble.
There’s a great danger in doubting the imminent presence of God in our lives. What is it? We become what some have called a “Christian atheist,” functioning like the person described in verses 2-11. Discouraged. Greedy. Boastful. Arrogant. Intimidating. Lying. Oppressive. Worshiping the desires of your own soul.
But has God really forgotten? Has he truly hidden his face? Is he actually doing nothing about wickedness?
This is where faith must enter in. This is where trusting the rule of Christ and his judgments is all that can sustain us in a world full of injustice. Jesus could have easily prayed this prayer on the cross. The Father seemed far away and hidden, while the wicked murdered the only truly innocent human being who ever lived. But what does the cross teach us? Sometimes the wicked have to prosper in order for God’s salvation to prosper.
To live is Christ is to resist becoming cynical in an unjust world. Rather, it is believing that, in Christ, God has never forgotten us.
You: Have you ever felt far away from God? When?
You in Christ: How does your union with Christ answer this question, “Why Lord do you hide yourself?”
Christ in you: Where does the very faith of Christ need to express itself in your life today, rather than you living as a “Christian atheist?”
Pray: Father, I know that you are not hidden from me because I have your Son living in me. He was crushed so I would never be. Let his faith rule my heart today. Amen.
To Live is Christ 