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?"
II. The Critical Turn of Faith-The Pivot to Prayer (vv. 12-15)
Just when the description of evil is at its bleakest, the entire psalm makes a dramatic turn. The psalmist stops looking around at the darkness and looks up to the Light. He stops describing the problem to himself and starts petitioning the one true Solution.
1. This is the pivot of faith.
Listen to the shift in his voice in verse 12: "Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble." (Psalm 10:12)
This is not a demand; it is a desperate plea born of deep faith. It is the cry of the disciples in the storm-tossed boat, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" It says, "I am helpless, but You are all-powerful. I am at my end, but you are just beginning. Arise!"
2. And then, he takes the lie of the wicked man and shatters it with the truth of God
It is one of the most powerful moments in Scripture. The wicked man says in his heart (v. 11), "God hath forgotten." But the man of faith says to God (v. 14), "Thou hast seen it." The wicked man says, "He will never see it."
But the man of faith declares, "for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand."
Brothers and sisters, let this truth sink into your spirit today. God sees. He sees the secret deal made in the boardroom. He sees the tear that falls on your pillow at 2 AM. He sees the quiet act of integrity that no one else applauded. He sees the "mischief and spite" done against you, and He does not just see it as a passive observer-He beholds it "to requite it," to bring it to justice.
3. And look who commits their cause to this seeing God:
"...the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless." (Psalm 10:14)
The poor-the one who has no earthly resources. The fatherless-the one who has no earthly protector. These are the ones who entrust their entire case to God. They file their appeal not in the courts of men, but in the court of heaven, because they know that God is their defender. This is our model. We are to take our pain, our cause, our hurt, and formally, prayerfully, commit it into the hands of our God.
III. The Unshakable Conclusion-The Proclamation of a King (vv. 16-18)
1.The psalm, which began as a question from a troubled heart, now crescendos into a triumphant hymn of praise from a confident soul
The psalmist has remembered the ultimate truth that changes everything.
"The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land." (Psalm 10:16)
From "Why standest Thou afar off?" to "The LORD is King for ever and ever!" This is the destination of our journey. Earthly rulers rise and fall. Economies boom and bust. Cultures shift and change. But here is the anchor for your soul: The LORD is King. His throne is not up for election. His reign has no term limit. His authority is absolute and eternal.
2. And because He is King, He does what good kings do: He tends to His people
The final verses are a cascade of promises for the humble who trust in Him.
"LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress." (Psalm 10:17-18)
Look at this sequence of divine care:
He has already heard you. It's past tense: "thou hast heard." The moment your heart desired Him, your prayer was registered in heaven.
He is preparing you. Sometimes the answer seems slow because God is doing a work in you before He does the work for you. He is strengthening your heart for the victory He is about to give.
He is listening intently. He "causes his ear to hear." This is a focused, intentional listening. You have the full attention of the King of the Universe.
He will bring justice. His final act is to judge, to set things right, so that the "man of the earth"-that proud, arrogant oppressor-will be silenced forever.
Conclusion: From Question to Confidence
So where does this ancient psalm leave us? It leaves us with a pattern for our faith.
When life makes you want to cry out, "God, where are you?", you have a choice. You can stay in the despair of verse 1, looking only at the darkness around you. Or, you can walk the path of the psalmist.
First, pour out your heart with raw honesty. Tell God exactly how you feel. He can handle it.
Second, pivot to prayer and proclamation. After you've described the problem, turn your eyes from the problem to the Problem-Solver. Speak the truth of God's character over the lies of your circumstances. Say it out loud: "Thou hast seen it! Thou art the helper! The LORD is King!"
Finally, rest in the reality of His eternal reign. Your life is not in the hands of chance or in the hands of wicked men. Your life, your family, your future, and your world are in the hands of a King who is good, who sees, who hears, and who will, in His perfect time, make all things right. Though He may seem silent for a season, His throne is occupied, His eyes are watchful, and His heart is for you.
