Sunday in the Psalms: When your gut cries, "WHY?"

 

Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

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.

—Psalm 10:1, 17-18 NIV

 

Tune into the evening news any night of the week, and you’ll no doubt find yourself asking the same questions David asked at the beginning of this psalm. We wonder why God doesn’t deal severely and immediately with leaders who mock Him, who live without compassion for their fellow man, who believe themselves indestructible. After the initial questions, the psalmist goes to great lengths to describe the actions and attitudes of the wicked. We can easily relate, because they are no different today. We see the arrogant and boastful growing more powerful and rich. We hear lies when we crave truth. We feel helpless, yet our hearts long to see justice done. Why is this so important to us?

Justice matters to us for the same reason we are drawn to books and movies in which good triumphs over evil. We’re unsatisfied until justice prevails, because we are made in the image of God and God loves justice. He also loves mercy—as do we, at least for ourselves and our loved ones. For us, we’d like God to extend grace. By the end of the psalm, we’re reminded that God does indeed hear the cries of the downtrodden. In His mercy, He frequently waits longer than we would like. We’re reassured that He sees, He knows, and He can be trusted to do something about it.

 

Questions for reflection: How much do I trust God, in His timing, to deliver justice? Where, throughout history, can I see that He has done exactly that?