Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 10:1-11
Ps 10:1-11
Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies. He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble." His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims. He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, "God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees."
James 5:11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
No book of the Bible is filled with more questions, good answers, bad answers, emotions, along with both faith and doubt. Job was a real person who had spent his life serving God, trying to raise his children to serve the Lord, and in helping those who were in need. Yet, he suffered far beyond what most of us can even imagine or begin to identify with in our lives. Job never knew why it happened.
We suffer. We see so many around us who suffer. We see abuse in almost every area of life. We see violence in most communities. A friend was sitting in the hospital waiting room for hours and wondered why. When he was finally called back, he said most of the people were victims of violence and crime. Why?
There are two principles given in the Bible that help explain this. When we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. When we ignore God and do not give him thanks or honor him as God, he gives up on us and allows us to go deeper and deeper into the ways of Satan. Satan is the god of violence and abuse.
O God, give me a pure heart and a steadfast spirit to live for you and to serve you in every way that I can. Use me to help those who are downtrodden. Open my eyes to the opportunities you give so I will use what I am and what I have to help them lift their loads. Give your emotional healing to those who have been victims of abuse and violence. Teach me to unload all my burdens on you and then to trust you to empower me to do what you want me to do, but also to trust you to make things happen in your way and in your time. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
