Encouragement

January 16

READ Psalm 10:12–18. 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.

ENCOURAGEMENT. This second half of the psalm shows us a man who never gets the “why?” questions answered (verse 13) yet who trusts God completely. While the day of justice may be still in the future, the promise of encouragement is in the present, if we look to him. How can we trust him now if we still see oppression reigning? Christians know he so loves the helpless (verse 12), grief-stricken (verse 14), and oppressed (verse 18) that he literally became one of them and “by oppression and judgment he was taken away” (Isaiah 53:3–8). So commit yourself to him.

Prayer: Lord, the world is filled with so many tragedies and injustices! I wish I knew the “why” behind so many things. But despite appearances and what I see from my extremely limited vantage point, you have never wronged anyone. Help me trust your wisdom and give my heart the encouragement and strength that only you can give.

Amen.