Given the spate of killings we are witnessing in the Philippines where innocent lives are being caught in the crossfire as a result of the government’s relentless war against illegal drugs, we may be asking where is God in all of this. Why is he allowing the innocent to perish and the wicked go scot-free? In times of trouble when evil seems to triumph over good we tend to ask the question whether God is still in control. The psalmist has the same concerns in Psalm 10, “Why do you stand afar off, O Lord? Why do you hide in times of trouble?”
It does seem like a big injustice when those who do not believe in God and are in rebellion against Him continue to flourish in spite of their oppression on the weak, hapless, and poor. This is the big question mark swirling in the back of the psalmist’s mind.
“Arise, O Lord!,” implores the psalmist, “O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble.”
After unloading himself on God, he then answers his own questions. He realizes that even in the perceived silence of heaven, God continues to be actively engaged in the affairs of men. He declares, “But you have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it by Your hand.”
We have to understand as David realizes that God remains the sovereign ruler of all even if the world seems to be spinning out of control and wickedness is at its all time high. We may not understand His silence but His wisdom is far greater than anyone and He works according to His timetable and divine program. He oversees the rise and fall of nations and empires and He remains the “King forever and ever.” We just have to trust in the machinations of heaven. God’s kind of justice will be fair, perfect, and swift.
One thing is certain, those who will humble themselves and commit to Him are guaranteed of His help, compassion, and kindness as affirmed by David, “The helpless commits himself to God and He is the helper of the fatherless…Lord you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear. To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may oppress no more.”
Side note: the summary execution of any human life has no place in a civilized society. The right to due process of law applies to all and is deeply enshrined in our constitution: no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. (Written: 1AUGUST2016)