When God Seems Silent Series

Introduction: The Painful Question That Echoes in the Soul

Let me ask you to be honest with yourself for a moment. Have you ever been in that quiet, lonely place-maybe in the dead of night, or in a hospital waiting room, or after hearing a piece of news that shattered your world-and a single, painful question rose from the depths of your soul: "God, where are you?" It's a question that feels almost dangerous to ask, as if we are betraying our faith. We look around at a world groaning under the weight of injustice. We see the arrogant succeeding while the humble suffer. We see sickness, sorrow, and strife, and in our most vulnerable moments, the silence from heaven can feel deafening.

If you have ever felt this ache, I want you to know today that you are not alone, and you are not a failure in your faith. In fact, you stand in a long line of God's most faithful servants-from Job on his ash heap to Jeremiah in his pit-who dared to ask God the hard questions. And today, we find this raw, human cry enshrined forever in the pages of Holy Scripture. It is the opening line of Psalm 10. The psalmist, with no pretense and no filter, cries out to the Lord he loves:

"Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10:1)

This psalm is a roadmap for the soul. It guides us from the valley of confusion, through the dark forest of injustice, and up to the mountaintop of divine assurance. It teaches us what to do when God seems silent. So let us walk this sacred path together.

I. An Unflinching Look at the Problem-The Portrait of the Wicked (vv. 2-11)

Before we can appreciate the solution, we must first have the courage to look the problem squarely in the face. The psalmist does exactly that. He becomes a master portrait artist, painting a chillingly accurate picture of the wicked man-a picture we can still recognize in our world today.

1. First, he paints the foundation of wickedness: Pride.

"The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor..." (Psalm 10:2)

Pride is the original sin. It is the belief that "I am the center of my own universe." The proud man has usurped the throne of his own heart, placing himself where only God belongs. From this throne of self, he looks down upon others. The poor, the meek, the humble-they are not neighbors to be loved, but obstacles to be overcome or pawns to be used for his own gain. We see this in the executive who exploits his workers for a larger bonus, in the politician who lies for a few more votes, and in the everyday person who tears others down to feel taller themselves. It all begins with pride.

2. Second, he paints their inverted moral compass: Perverse Values.

"For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth." (Psalm 10:3)

The world's system of values is completely upside down from God's. The wicked man boasts about his selfish ambitions. He throws a party for the greedy man. He celebrates the very things that make God's heart grieve. He looks at the ruthless tycoon, the fame-obsessed celebrity, the power-hungry leader and says, "That is success! That is what I want to be!" He blesses what God abhors and abhors what God blesses.

3. Third, and most profoundly, he paints their functional creed: Practical Atheism.

"The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts." (Psalm 10:4)

This is one of the most insightful verses in all the Psalms. This man might not be an intellectual atheist; he may even pay lip service to God. But in practice, in the day-to-day reality of his life, God is irrelevant. God is not in his business plan. God is not in his five-year goals. God is not in his weekend recreation. His mind is filled with schemes, worries, desires, and ambitions, but in all of that mental traffic, there is no room for God. He lives as if God simply does not exist.

4. This practical atheism breeds a terrifying arrogance, which culminates in the great lie that fuels all injustice, found in verse 11:

"He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hidest his face; he will never see it." (Psalm 10:11)

This is the foundational belief of evil. "No one is watching. There will be no consequences. I can get away with it." It is the lie that whispers to the thief, the abuser, the tyrant, and the cheat. And when we, the people of God, see this lie producing so much evil fruit in the world, it is no wonder that our hearts break and we join the psalmist in his initial cry: "Lord, where are you?"