Is God in Hiding? (Psalm 10:1)

 Is God in Hiding?

“Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1 ESV)

Psalm 10 begins with this troubling question: “Where is God when we need Him most?” The description of the problem is given through verse 9 - “the wicked.” And then in 10 and 11, we have a restatement of the troubled heart of the psalmist:

¹⁰ The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might.

¹¹ He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

Has God indeed hidden His face? Is He unaware of our troubles? If our answer is “yes” to these questions, then our faith must cease; our praise be silenced; our worship be extinguished. Thankfully, in this psalm, throughout Scripture, and in life, the answer is “No.” No, God has not hidden His face; God does indeed know your troubles.

It is a mystery to us why God allows what He does. He allows a lot. He even seems to use what we would regard as “evil” things to produce good ends. Even our own sins, as we battle them, confess them, crucify them - even this battle He uses for our strengthening and seasoning. He leads us through many wars of attrition to love Him more than anything else. God is not hiding; He is working. God is not unaware; He is carefully, lovingly executing His plan for His child and His church.

It seems, then, that when God wants to improve His children and His church, then there must be trouble. It must be this way. No, we don’t go looking for trouble. But when it comes, we must accept it, even embrace it, and purpose not to waste it. That is, let God work it out in our lives and in our assemblies.

Perhaps we could pray a prayer that ascended from Richard of Chichester (1197-1253). He was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, but rejected by King Henry III. He therefore ministered without financial support, but persisted anyway. Here is his prayer:

Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which thou hast given me,
for all the pains and insults which thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother,
may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly,
and follow thee more nearly. 

Notice that his attention is directed at Jesus’ “pains and insults” rather than his own. And notice that we may know clearly, love dearly, and follow nearly, because God is already doing this for us.