Psalm 10
September 3, 2023
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
We gather together this morning to celebrate you, and to worship you. Every week we sing songs, pray, read and dig into your word, and take communion. We do these things together, and we enjoy the encouragement being together with one another, and sharing life together. Life is rarely without struggles and challenges. There are a many troubles that weigh heavy on us. We struggle with our jobs, our family, our schools, our government, our friends, the list goes on and on. Our enemy wants to steal the joy and freedom you give us. We see poverty, abuse, drug addition, anger and malice in our world. Why O Lord do you stand far away? Would these injustices be committed if everyone saw you the almighty powerful God in plain sight in front of us all the time? Why are you hidden from plain sight? This is a really hard question.
The second part of this Psalm says “Arise, O Lord, O God. Lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted.” And later says “Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account until you find no more wickedness.” For those of us who love and follow you, our hearts burn with this plea. Our cities are filled with these injustices. Greed drives people to take advantage and impoverish people. Drug addiction is a snare that traps many people. Peoples brains have been re-wired in ways so their brain responds in ways that make their situations worse instead of better. The evil one seeks to destroy, and appears to succeed. Some people respond that God has forgotten, there is no God, God won’t see this. Oh God, we know in our head that you see this, comfort our hearts that you not only see this evil and injustice, but that you will call to account for this wickedness. We pray for more people to be set free from the bondages of wickedness. That more people would know you as Lord and Savior and follow you. That you would bring help to the fatherless.
It is easy to see the wickedness around us. As our hearts are moved by the world around us, help us to see the sin in our own lives. Help us to ask ourselves if we are bearing the fruit of the spirit, and the fruit of repentance in our own lives. We confess our own sins of greed and pride and lack of trust you and finding joy in you alone. Help us to live rightly in this world. Help us to love our neighbors. And may we love you and you alone most of all.