Volume 25, Issue 7
WisconsinChristianNews.com
Page 25
Psalm 10... (Continued From Page 15)
Verse 11: The Boast of the Wicked
12) — “Arise, O Lord; lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted.” 2). Understand that the wicked reject God, so they live only for pleasure and power. (Verse 13) — Recog- nize the mindset of those who live without God and under- stand their motivations. 3). Know that the poor in spirit will be saved. (Verse 14) — “You have been the helper of the orphan.” God hears and comforts those who seek Him humbly. 4). Proclaim that God will judge all evil. (Verse 15) — “Break the arm of the wicked.” Evil will be punished. 5). Declare God’s sover- eignty. (Verse 16) — “The Lord is King forever and ever.” Even when we don’t see it, God is in control. 6). Trust that God strengthens and provides for His people. (Verse 17) — God is our comfort and strength, even in difficult times. 7). Be patient, knowing God will vindicate the right- eous and bring justice to the wicked. (Verse 18) — “You will vindicate the orphan and the oppressed.” Final Thoughts: The Call to Faithfulness One of the most alarming facts related to church life today is the total lack of con- cern for the rapid, sudden rise of evil and hostility toward Christianity that we see today. You’d have to be blind not to see it. I believe the Church today is strategically placed to
speak against this evil, but there’s a larger number that will not, because they’re blind to it or because they don’t want to offend the world. Here’s a news flash: the world is offended that you exist as a born-again Christian! The world, if they had their way, would lock you up as crazy. Most churches are just not fulfilling their commission. I’ve previously addressed this as “Disneyland Christi- anity.” Psalm ten is David’s frank assessment of the wicked and the conditions of everyday life in Israel in his day. He could just as easily be talking about America today. Brothers and sisters, we live in a time of growing darkness and opposition to the gospel. Psalm 10 re- minds us that God sees, hears, and will act. Our mis- sion is to remain faithful, proclaim the truth, and live lives that reflect the hope we have in Christ. God will bring justice in His time, and He calls us to stand firm, even when it seems like evil is prevailing. Concluding Prayer Father, we are grateful for this reminder from Psalm 10 that we live in a “foreign land,” spiritually speaking. Christians once had a power- ful voice in America, but that day has passed. More times than not, Christians are mocked, ridiculed, and mar- ginalized. In many instances we have brought those out- comes upon ourselves
through our own failures to live up to the standard that we have been shown in Christ. Father, please help us to love like Jesus loved, to be bold when speaking the truth like Jesus was, and in everything we do Lord, please help us to forget about ourselves, our rep-
utation, our pride, and enable us to live and speak in ways that honor You and exalt the name of Jesus. For we ask this in His name, amen. Dr. Mike Spaulding P. O. Box 3007 • Lima, OH 45807
In verse eleven, we see that the wicked believe they can sin without repercussion, boasting that God doesn’t care or won’t see their deeds. It’s a telling picture of the world we live in, where many dismiss God’s concern or existence. “He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.’” This is practical atheism — living as though God doesn’t see, doesn’t care, or doesn’t exist. The wicked live without accountability, believing their deeds are unnoticed. This is the attitude of much of the world today, and even in parts of the Church. It seems to me that a great number of Christians have engaged their mental “auto- pilot” and are walking through life as if in a dream state. Nothing around them seems to rouse their curiosity nor their concern. This world is not our home, but that does not mean that we should disengage from it and allow it to slip into an anti-Christian monstrosity of wickedness. What can we do as believers in Christ? We find the answers to that question next. Verses 12-18: The Response of the Righteous In the final verses, David provides a model for how the righteous should respond to wickedness. Here are seven actions we can take, based on these verses: 1). Ask God to act. (Verse
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