Psalm 10
This week’s Song To Live By is Psalm 10
Lesley writes:
Recently one of my family members was nearly scammed out of some money. A Scammer texted them pretending to be me. They pretended I had lost my phone and that I was calling from another number then tried to get my family member to send money to help. Fortunately it did not work but I felt angry that The Scammer had lied and manipulated my family member. I felt depressed that this Scammer clearly had no conscience about scamming someone out of money.
Psalm 10 sums up that feeling of depression. Lord, you seem distant, where are you? Why are wicked people murdering the innocent and preying on those weaker than them. Why does life still seem to go well for people like this?
Psalm 10 also expresses that feeling of anger I felt about the scammer. Why do people whose mouths are full of lies and threats get to prosper? How can people boast about evil and not consider that there are consequences for harming others?
The Psalm seems to start off with depression and lament and then move into a burning anger and cry for justice. Some of this anger feels quite strong…the Psalmist cries out for God to break the arm of the wicked person as he brings them to account. And yet the Psalm ends with a tender remembrance of how the Lord is a helper to the fatherless and how the Lord listens to the cries of the afflicted.
So I can be assured that the Lord hears my cries against The Scammer and people like them who harm others. We also know that when Jesus returns, all those who have hidden their wickedness will be called to account - only those who have chosen to receive the mercy of the cross (which is available to all) will be declared innocent. That is reassuring…not only due to the justice element but because of the possibility of redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. Because, there is always the possibility that I have also had wickedness in my own heart. Maybe overtly or in my thought life I have also taken advantage of those weaker than me and thought that I can get away with sin without being called to account but Jesus provides forgiveness for me.
Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
So bearing that in mind and having read this Psalm, how should I pray for The Scammer? Well, I will start with telling God how depressed I feel, then pour out my anger at the unfairness and injustice, I will search my own heart and confess my own sins (so that I’m not a hypocrite) and then remembering that the Lord is King forever and that he hears my prayer, I will praise him. What do you think? How will you pray differently after reading this Psalm?
A Prayer
Why Lord do you sometimes seem far off? And yet I know you hear my prayers. You listen to my cries. Please bring justice to the world and and lift up your hand, O God. Please turn the heart of boastful and wicked people towards you and please turn my own heart towards you. Thank you that on the day of judgement I can be declared clean because of Jesus. I praise you Lord God.
