Psalm 10:12–13: “Arise, O LORD! / O God, lift up Your hand! / Do not forget the humble. / Why do the wicked renounce God? / He has said in his heart, / ‘You will not require an account.'”

January 16th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

David cried out, “Arise, O LORD!” He had been trembling in the trenches long enough and wanted God to act. David knew he was powerless to change his own circumstances, but that God was not powerless. He knew God’s will was being done in heaven and asked that it be done on earth as well.

The word “why” occurs twice here and is translated as such in the NIV translation: “Why does the wicked man revile god? / Why does he say to himself, / ‘He won’t call me to account’?” David was struggling with the prosperity and seeming victory of the wicked around him, and he argued that God should be dealing with the wickedness and injustice, that those practicing such things should be held accountable. He was frustrated by the circumstances he was in and couldn’t see God standing right next to him.

I read a great story about a volunteer fire department that was fighting to save a barn that was engulfed in flames. As the owner watched, he called his insurance company, but there was no answer. “How come my agent is never there when I need him?” he asked in frustration. Overhearing it, one of the firefighters tapped his shoulder and said, “It’s because I’m right here, putting out the fire.” One of the fireman working to save the barn was the owner’s insurance agent. Although David was frustrated and looking, God was right next to him (and us) today, all day, every day.

“Thank You LORD for standing next to us in everything this day. Guide us into good places we pray, in Jesus’ name.”

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Psalms 10 KJV

¹ Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

² The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. 

³ For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.  

⁴ The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God:God is not in all his thoughts. 

⁵ His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

⁶ He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. 

⁷ His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue ismischief and vanity.  

⁸ He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. 

⁹ He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. 

¹⁰ He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.  

¹¹ He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it .

¹² Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble. 

¹³ Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it .

¹⁴ Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless. 

¹⁵ Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

¹⁶ The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

¹⁷ LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: 

¹⁸ To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.