Who is one person you have a hard time tolerating? Do you find yourself
feeling totally frustrated when in their presence, almost helpless or
powerless? How do you usually handle this problem? Is it affecting your
relationship with the Lord? We are going to look at this very issue today,
so turn with me to the text below and let's begin our study....
Psalm 10:1 (KJV)
Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of
trouble?
Already in verse one we get a glimpse of the way the psalm writer feels
about his circumstances. He feels like the Lord is unaware of what is
going on in his life and is indifferent to his troubles. We react the
same way, don't we, ladies? When we are treated unfairly or under oppression
we cry out to the Lord asking where He is when we need Him. We even tend
to get sarcastic with the Lord as Psalm 13:1 shows us....
How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide
thy face from me?
God's withdrawings are very grieving to us - but has the Lord really withdrawn,
or do we just think He did?? You see ladies, when faced with offences,
it is our attitude that needs adjusting, not God's! When we take the position
of just "tolerating" someone, we are guilty of trying to handle the matter
in our own strength, apart from asking for God's help. Toleration is simply
a demonstration of our lack of trust! Before we put our confidence in
the Lord's deliverance, we stand apart from God, distanced by our unbelief,
and then complain that God has distanced Himself from us! Ladies, we’ve
got to be liberated from the wicked, not overcome of the evil they carry
along with them....
Psalm 10:2-3 (KJV)
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in
the devices that they have imagined. For the wicked boasteth of his heart's
desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.
Yes, innocent people are affected by the actions and attitudes of prideful,
wicked people. But this is no reason for the Christian to lose confidence,
amen? Certainly the words of the wicked are potent and they can dishearten
us. Nevertheless, no matter what they may boast of, we need to stay close
to the Lord in prayer over the matter. You see ladies, the words of the
righteous are always more influential as we take our cares to the throne
of grace for help in time of need! We'll feel differently about our problems
when we commit them to the Lord in prayer. We don't need to become engrossed
in conversation against bad men or women. If we speak of them at all,
it ought to be to the Lord who can do something about it! This is one
of the ways we use our words for good, amen? The dominating force of the
wicked diminishes as the Spirit of the Lord prevails through us. They
increase in confidence via their boastings but God’s people gain assurance
through the power of prayer! As we place our trust in the Lord, our reaction
to troubling situations begins to change. Then it is the Spirit of God
will prove what the Lord can do in our seemingly overwhelming circumstances…
Psalm 10:4 (KJV)
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after
God: God is not in all his thoughts.
The self-opinionated sinner goes about planning and boasting of his life
as if God did not exist at all. It is HIS heart's desire and the greed
of HIS soul that the wicked chases after and gives vocal expression to,
for his attitude toward life is void of the fear of God! God is nowhere
in this man or woman's thoughts, their only consideration is self. And
ladies, we all know that our thoughts and ways are closely linked…
Psalm 10:5-6 (KJV)
His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight:
as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart,
I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
These accusations that the psalm writer makes against the wicked stand
true even today! They live in the glory of their own power and success.
They are spiritually blind for they never look upon the Word of God and
keep it far from their sight. They have no submission to God's will nor
do they aim for His glory. They are a people that live without prayer
- which is the same as living without the Lord at all, amen? Ladies, as
Christians we better guard ourselves against such behavior! I hope none
of us is guilty of living like the wicked - of living without the Word,
prayer, or submissive attitudes. I hope we are not guilty of aiming for
something other than the glory of God in our lives! Nothing changes for
the better when God is left out of the picture…. The wicked does not foresee
the calamity of his ways because he has hardened his heart toward the
Lord. At best, he can only enjoy a carnal security and live in a false
hope. With such pride existing in his heart, things only gets worse….
Psalm 10:7-11 (KJV)
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is
mischief and vanity. 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. 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. He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may
fall by his strong ones. He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten:
he hideth his face; he will never see it.
What the wicked man or woman has is serious heart disease, amen? Out of
their hearts proceed evil deeds and we are astonished at the depth of
their craftiness. The wicked likes to pick on the poor, the one who seeks
after God and strives to place the Lord first in his life. He seeks to
trip him up, to discourage him, to lead him astray, to catch him with
sin. A wicked person is relentless because he doesn't believe God sees
what he is doing, nor in his pride does he think God could stop him! In
addition, to us it seems as if this person goes unpunished… No wonder
we find being in the presence of such a person so overbearing, amen? How
can you possibly deal with such a bully and the problems he causes you??
Well, I don't know if you realize it or not, but the psalm writer has
actually been praying the personality of his oppressor to the Lord! One
by one the psalmist lists the offensive characteristics and problems the
wicked person is causing in his life. The psalm writer is turning over
every ounce of irritation to the Lord and trusting God with the outcome.
So too, must we appeal to the Lord for action on our behalf…
Psalm 10:12-15 (KJV)
Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble. Wherefore
doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not
require it. 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. Break thou the arm of the wicked and
the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
After having finished his account of the wicked, the psalm writer is calling
upon the Lord to prove him wrong in his pride. He wants God to let the
wicked know God is who He says He is! The faith of the one oppressed rises
to the surface, calls out to his God, and appeals to the Lord's character
trait of Divine Helper. Ladies, we can appeal to this same character trait
in the Lord today!
Psalm 56:11 (KJV)
In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto
me.
Hebrews 13:6 (KJV)
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear
what man shall do unto me.
These passages ought to encourage us to handle our problems with people
properly! We must, in boldness, join the psalm writer who has learned
to place his confidence in the Lord, the One who knows and sees all the
wrongdoings that men commit. Even in the face of the pride of the wicked
and their many boastings that surround the poor, victory can be won! Ladies,
the psalmist almost lost his strength, the wicked almost had him convinced
of his abilities to overcome him using cursing, deceit, and fraud, those
weapons of the tongue. But putting our trust in the Lord breaks the hold
that the fear of man has over us and brings their prideful words to naught!
Proverbs 29:25 (KJV)
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord
shall be safe.
Let's look at the final three verses of this psalm as it closes with a
song of thanksgiving to the Lord...
Psalm 10:16-18 (KJV)
The Lord is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his
land. 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.
The once suffering Jesus, now reigns as King over all the earth, and of
His dominion there shall be no end. Praise the Lord we can commit ourselves
unto the Son of God in our oppressions and humbly trust in His mercy!
Christ will rescue the believer and break the arm of every wicked oppressor.
One day soon, He will bruise Satan under our feet! What a foretaste of
glory divine is available today…
In what situation do you need to rely upon God’s justice, dear lady? What
unfairness might you need to hand over to Him? What action would you like
the Lord to take on your behalf? Perhaps there is a person you have simply
been "tolerating" for whom you need to specifically pray rather than trying
to ignore or deal with in your own strength. Have you been appealing to
your heavenly Father as your helper?? Maybe you'd like your prayer habits
to change in light of the psalm writer's example… Whatever the case may
be, I guarantee you'll feel better about all your problems once you commit
them to the Lord in prayer. That which begins on a note of concern and
defeat can be changed into a note of triumph with the Lord!
Psalm 40:3
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many
shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2004
