READ:
Psalms 10-11
Psalm 10 deals with an issue many of us have
observed: the wicked prospering. The Psalmist describes someone who is wicked
yet gets what he wants; who has enough money to bless those who are as wicked
as he is, and who never gets caught for his evil deeds. The writer sees the
evil, and the people in the wake of it. The wicked ones don’t even pay
attention to God at all except to make fun of Him, and yet everything works out
for them.
How often do we feel this way? We see people who
seem to have every blessing. Everything they touch turns to gold. They have a
beautiful family, and great jobs, and high incomes, and health, and beauty… and
it seems to never end. To top it off, they don’t give credit to God! They live
like God will never hold them accountable for their actions, just like verse 13
says.
In some cases it’s not just that they don’t
acknowledge God, but they are overtly against God and all He stands for. They
even attack the people who love God. Psalm 11:2 talks about how they purposely
shoot their arrows at the ones who are godly. They are on the attack.
The Psalmist is tired of this and begins to engage
his heart with who God is. As He goes through listing the things God does and
how He handles things, he is reminded of eternity and the truth that justice will
win.
He reminds us that God is the helper to the
fatherless. He breaks the arms of the wicked and evil men. He looks ahead to
the day when everyone, even those for whom everything always goes their way,
will have to give an account to God. The Psalmist isn’t looking into next week,
or month or year… but to that day when God is going to ask every person to give
an account, and they’ll have to answer. They’ll have give an account for every
word, thought, and deed they have done.
This brings the Psalmist great hope because he
trusts that God’s character and His promises are true. Psalm 11:4-6 makes it
clear God’s justice is sure. He will not let evil go unpunished. There will be
a reckoning.
When we look at today’s news and current events it
might be easy to be discouraged. With wars and rumors of wars, government
leaders in so many nations who lie to get into power so they can mismanage
money and people to bring their sinful agenda into law and practice, it’s easy
to be disheartened and think the evil will never end. However, these Psalms
remind us God is in control. The peace and prosperity the evil ones experience
now is only short-lived. God’s justice will be served. It may not be today,
but their day is coming.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1. Ask God to show you if there is a secret jealously
toward those who are wicked (basically those who are not following Jesus)
because of their success and prosperity. Confess and ask the Lord for a vision
of His eternal justice.
2. Meditate specifically on Psalm 11: 5a. Ask the Lord
to examine your heart and show you anything within you that needs to be
confessed, specifically in regards to how you treat those who do not have
family, parents, or children. Is there something He wants you to do to grow in
this?
3. Ask the Lord to bring to mind someone (a person or
people group) who has or is suffering because of someone else’s wickedness.
Pray for the God of Justice to hear their cries and encourage them with help,
safety, and a hope for eternity.
