Psalm 10

1 Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor—
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3 For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart,
those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord.
4 In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, “God will not seek it out”;
all their thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5 Their ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of their sight;
as for their foes, they scoff at them.
6 They think in their heart, “We shall not be moved;
throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.”
7 Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under their tongues are mischief and iniquity.
8 They sit in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places they murder the innocent.
Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 they lurk in secret like a lion in its covert;
they lurk that they may seize the poor;
they seize the poor and drag them off in their net.
10 They stoop, they crouch,
and the helpless fall by their might.
11 They think in their heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
12 Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why do the wicked renounce God,
and say in their hearts, “You will not call us to account”?
14 But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief,
that you may take it into your hands;
the helpless commit themselves to you;
you have been the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers;
seek out their wickedness until you find none.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever;
the nations shall perish from his land.
17 O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
18 to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,
so that those from earth may strike terror no more.a
[1]

Lord,
Will it ever really be so? In the words of Jesus, will the meek ever inherit the earth? When will the orphan and oppressed ever receive justice? When will You act?

I know! You will act when we make ourselves available to you for action. When we become the Body of Christ, quickened by the Spirit of Christ, you will act through us. When we become the hands and feet of Christ and the voice of Christ, you will act through us.

Allow me an irreverent thought. Wouldn’t it be easier if you would just do it yourself? Who, after all, are we? We can hardly see the problem due to our fixation on our own problems-- at least we are fixated on ourselves in some way. It’s a complicated world and the answers seem to be beyond us. We are not smart enough, courageous enough, faithful enough and probably not willing enough. Wouldn’t it be easier, less complicated, more direct, if you would just step in and make justice work?

It’s a fair question. In the meantime.… It appears that you have cast your lot with us. You have chosen to work with us and through us and perhaps even to depend on us to do the work that you want to have done.

The poet is clear. It is a violation of your will, a contradiction of your character, for the weak to be trampled, for the orphan to be abused, for the needy to be neglected, for injustice to reign. If that is true and if you are waiting for your people to sign on, then it must be your will for your people, those who have freely chosen to be a part of the Body of Christ, to take on the struggle for justice in your name.

If I am wrong, show me. If I am right, lead me.

PERSONAL PRAYERS:

Pray for the weakest persons you know.
Pray for the victims of war who, by the sheer accidents of life, happen to live in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Ask God to show you your proper place in the ministry of the Body of Christ.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank You.”

In Christ’s name,
Amen

a Meaning of Heb uncertain

[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989