The following Quiet Time is from a series called “Play, Pause, Pray” by Rolan Monje who is an incredible teacher in our fellowship of churches.
Rolan’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rolanmonjebooks
Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology: https://www.rmsmt.org/
▶ PLAY
• Read Psalm 10 (NLT). Falling under the genre of contemplative songs, this psalm begins with the theme of God’s justice and ends on God’s kingship.
• As mentioned, Psalms 9 and 10 are connected. In fact, together they forman acrostic; every other line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. (Think “A, you’re adorable, B, you’re so beautiful…”)
Psalm 10
1 O Lord, why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide when I am in trouble?
2 The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor.
Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
3 For they brag about their evil desires;
they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.
4 The wicked are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
5 Yet they succeed in everything they do.
They do not see your punishment awaiting them.
They sneer at all their enemies.
6 They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us!
We will be free of trouble forever!”
7 Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats.[a]
Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
8 They lurk in ambush in the villages,
waiting to murder innocent people.
They are always searching for helpless victims.
9 Like lions crouched in hiding,
they wait to pounce on the helpless.
Like hunters they capture the helpless
and drag them away in nets.
10 Their helpless victims are crushed;
they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
11 The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us!
He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!”
12 Arise, O Lord!
Punish the wicked, O God!
Do not ignore the helpless!
13 Why do the wicked get away with despising God?
They think, “God will never call us to account.”
14 But you see the trouble and grief they cause.
You take note of it and punish them.
The helpless put their trust in you.
You defend the orphans.
15 Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!
Go after them until the last one is destroyed.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever!
The godless nations will vanish from the land.
17 Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
18 You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
so mere people can no longer terrify them.
⏸ PAUSE
• Have you ever questioned God? Imagine the psalmist’s cold, dark eyes looking up to the sky, brows furrowed with angst… Why do you stand so far away? (10:1). The beginning of the song carries a tone of accusation.
• Anytime we feel bereft of God’s presence, we need to bring it up to him. This is what the psalms demonstrate. When we feel distant from him, when prayers remain unanswered, when the Bible doesn’t make sense, when fellowship is a burden—those are the times we need to voice our “complaints” to him.
• There are certain types of persons that God listens to: the oppressed (v.18), the innocent (v.8), the helpless (v.12), the orphans (v.14,18). Generally, they’re the ones who are disadvantaged. They need God. It’s important for us to always feel our need for God. I can forget this sometimes. I need to remind myself to humble myself before God (and not wait for him to humble me!).
• Verses 4 and 11 mention how the “wicked” belittle God’s presence. We may not be downplaying God with the same words, but could it be that we make the same mistake in our hearts? Crises and troubles can make us fretfully busy that we forget about God. The NIV translates: “in all his thoughts there is no roomfor God” (v.4b). At the root is pride, plain and simple (v.4a).
• I love how the song ends with a hopeful tone. Because the Lord is king eternal (v.16), he will fulfill the hopes of the helpless, respond to their cries, and also vindicate the oppressed (vv.17-18). We can rely on him. That is why we can patiently endure. The Augustan poet Virgil once wrote, “Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance.” How much more is this promise true for the people of God!
# PRAY
• Ask God to reveal himself to you as the One who is faithful and just. Appeal to him to draw you near.
Let’s talk it over!
What about today’s devotional time helped you out?! Comment below