Psalm 10: Praying When We Feel God Is Far From Us

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

This is an anonymous Psalm that begins with the Psalmist asking why it seemed that God was not near, and why He was hiding from His people in times of trouble.

Of course, we know the character of God is unchanging and that He is always near His people and He always cares for us.

Therefore, this Psalm will walk us through an adjustment in the heart of the Psalmist, as he states how he feels alone, followed by the present realities of his situation and ending by focusing on what is true of God.

The Psalmist may be speaking for himself or for Israel as a nation in stating that it seemed like God had abandoned him.

Any time that we feel like God is not near is a time that we should examine our own heart and ask God to show us if there is any unconfessed sin that we must address.

Isaiah 59:1-2  Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 

Isaiah and most prophets, usually had strong messages from God calling His people to repentance.

God is always ready to hear from us and His posture is that of readiness to help us.

However, sin separates us from God and sin hides His face from us, such that He will not hear.

If we feel that God is distant, it may be that we have sin to confess and repent of.

We know that when we repent and confess our sins, God immediately cleanses and restores us (See 1 John 1:5-10).

Sin causes relational distance between God and us, in that we turn inward and away from Him when we sin.

God is always right where He said He would be.

The Psalmist may have struggled like we sometimes do, where we drift through an entire day not consciously depending upon God and this creates a feeling of distance from Him.

Pain, grief and exhaustion can also cloud our spiritual perception, causing us to feel alone, but our feelings were corrupted at the fall and are not reliable indicators of spiritual realities.

Psalm 73:28  But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works. 

Asaph reminds us that it is always good for us to draw near to God with trusting hearts, for He will receive us.

In Psalm 10, it is possible that Israel is being oppressed by enemies, such that daily living becomes very hard.

It is possible the Psalmist is facing a severe hardship, a health issue, a family problem that have caused him to become despondent.

We will see that though the circumstances do not change, by the end of Psalm 10, he heart is focused on God once again.

Psalm 10:2-4  The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. 3  For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. 4  The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. 

At this point, the Psalmist is casting his cares upon the LORD.

He has seen proud, powerful, wicked men oppress the poor and he prays that God turns their evil schemes back upon their own heads.

The wicked use their political connections and wealth to unlawfully take property from the poor who cannot defend themselves.

The wicked brag about how they cheat, swindle and steal from the poor and they admire other covetous men.

The Psalmist reminds himself that God does indeed abhor the wicked.

A wicked man is so blinded by pride and driven by selfish ambition that he will never seek God or think about Him.

Psalm 10:5  His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. 6  He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. 

The Psalmist describes the lifestyle of a wicked man.

The ways of a wicked man are grievous, twisted by sin and bent on torturing the lives of others.

He does not worry about having enemies, and literally blows them off with thoughts that "They cannot hurt me."

He boasts to his own heart that he is so cunning and strong that he will never suffer any adversity.

Psalm 10:7  His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. 

The Psalmist describes the speech of a wicked man.

A wicked man's words are full of vile speech that curse God and man alike.

His words are meant to deceive people in order to take advantage of them by fraud.

His tongue utters words meant to stir up trouble by hurting innocent people.

Psalm 10:8-11  He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. 9  He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. 10  He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones. 11  He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it. 

The Psalmist describes the actions of a wicked man as being like a predatory animal.

He lurks or stealthily sneaks around looking for people to take advantage of.

His heart is murderous and he preys upon the poor who cannot defend themselves.

He hides like a lion, waiting for unsuspecting victims to draw close enough to catch them.

A wicked man says that God does not see his vile actions, and that he will escape judgment from teh Almighty.

Psalm 10:12-15  Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble. 13  Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it. 14  Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless. 15  Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none. 

At this point, the Psalmist knows that he alone cannot rectify the injustice inflicted by the wicked,

He needs help and he knows that this help must come from God.

Thus, he pleads for God to arise and move His hand against these wicked oppressors who cause so much pain and misery in other people's lives.

The wicked think that God does not see, does not care and that He will not judge hium for his sins.

The Psalmist stated that he knows God sees, that God cares and that God will judge sinners.

He pleads for God's swift and righteous judgment to be measured out on the wicked. 

Exodus 22:22  Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. 23  If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; 24  And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

Psalm 68:5  A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. 

He remembered that God is a helper to the fatherless (See Deuteronomy 24:12-22).

He remembered that God commanded that farmers not reap the corners of the fields so that the widows and poor can have food.

He remembered that God commanded them to only go through and harvest olives and figs once, and that any remaining fruit was His provision for the poor and widows.

Psalm 10:16-18  The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land. 17  LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: 18  To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress. 

The Psalmist ends by expressing his complete confidence that God will do as He promises to do in His Word.

He will judge the wicked and send them all to Hell.

He remembered that God will hear the prayers of those whose hearts are humble before Him.

He will keep His promises to watch over, care for and judge favorably the poor.

Thus, the Psalmist began expressing himself like we may begin in prayer: feeling like God is distant, that He is not addressing the injustices we observe an that He has turned away from His people.

Yet, the Psalmist's heart was turned upward a he began to rehearse what he knew was true about God.

His reliance upon God shone forth as his feelings of distance from the LORD dissipated.

These truths are meant to encourage us, to help us in our walk with the LORD.

Life in general can be hard and our circumstances may weigh heavily on our hearts.

We may begin to question God's presence and may have some doubts that He still hears us when we pray.

The Psalmist walked us through all of this, and showed us that we must remember what God has promised in His Word.

We must have faith and believe that God will keep His promises and we must live in the assurance that God never changes, and that He is always faithful to us.

Bob