1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5 His ways are always prosperous;
your laws are rejected by[b] him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
6 He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”
7 His mouth is full of lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
8 He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
9 like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
10 His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.
11 He says to himself, “God will never notice;
he covers his face and never sees.”
12 Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.
13 Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
“He won’t call me to account”?
14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked man;
call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
that would not otherwise be found out.
16 The Lord is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals
will never again strike terror.
This Psalm was written during a time when it looked like evil was winning. The Psalmist cries to God in anguish.
Question 1
Have you ever felt like God was far away? How did you handle that period of time?
Question 2
How does it comfort you to know that God sees the suffering and sadness and hears their cries for help? V14
The Psalmist begins by asking God why he seems far away during this difficult time. Have you ever prayed a similar prayer? It’s a comfort to know that it’s okay to bring our doubt and struggles to God. Maybe you’re going through a period of suffering now? Or maybe you have a friend who is struggling with something. Pause this study and pray to God. Tell him anything and everything that’s on your heart.
Question 3
After telling God his doubts, he praises Him v16-18. What do these three verses tell us about God’s character?
Question 4
God is King over everything and is King for ever and ever. Does this bring you hope and comfort?
Pray: Thank you, Lord, that you are King for ever and ever. Thank you that you hear us and that we can come to you and cry out to you in our sadness.
