Psalms 6; 8-10
And he will be the judge of the world in righteousness, giving true decisions for the peoples. The Lord will be a high tower for those who are crushed down, a high tower in times of trouble; And those who have knowledge of your name will put their faith in you; because you, Lord, have ever given your help to those who were waiting for you. – Psalm 9:8-10 BBE
The Psalms of David are honest and real. In them, he shares exactly what he is feeling at the time. They reflect his thoughts at that moment in time and he does not hold back or sugar-coat what he is thinking. He expresses it in a clear and, sometimes painfully, transparent way. And in this section of Psalms David talks a great deal about the negatives that seem to be a part of his life. Things are so bad that he says he can't stop crying at night. "I'm tired of all this--so tired. My bed has been floating forty days and nights on the flood of my tears. My mattress is soaked, soggy with tears. The sockets of my eyes are black holes; nearly blind, I squint and grope" (Psalm 6:6-7 MSG). What seems to be the problem? Enemies, adversaries, those who would do David harm. They seem to be a permanent part of David"s life. Just because he is on the throne now does not mean that his troubles have ended. Over and over again, David refers to his enemies, adversaries, evildoers, and the wicked. He talks about the oppressed, needy, afflicted, unfortunate, and orphan. David is fully aware of the inequities of life. He knows that there are those who seem to have it out for the less fortunate. He also knows that these people have no regard for God and even think that there is no God (Psalm 10:4). They do what they do with impunity, not fearing retribution from God.
But David knows that God will repay the evil done by these people. David is counting on the fact that God is in charge. He WILL judge the world in righteousness one day. He WILL execute judgment with equity. What looks unfair and unbalanced right now will some day be set right. Because God can be trusted to do what is right. The presence of evil does not mean that God is non-existent or uncaring. He is still on His throne and He is in complete control and totally aware of what is going on in our world. He sees the actions of the wicked. He hears the cries of the oppressed. He listens to the prayers of His people – those who trust in Him. And He responds. Maybe not in the way we would want or in the timing we would prefer. But He does respond. David knew this. He believed in it. He counted on it. "For the needy will not be forgotten forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed" (Psalms 8:18 NLT). David was resting in the fact that God was still God and He would some day let the nations all know that they are but men (Psalm 8:19-20). There is a day coming when all that is wrong in this world will be made right. All who seem to prosper doing evil will have their actions judged and their punishment meted out. Because God is righteous and will not allow unrighteousness to go unpunished. He will not allow the inequities of life to remain. So like David, we should rejoice in the reality that our God is fully aware of the trouble of our times, and we should call out to Him, then rest in the fact that He will act. Even if we don't live to see it happen in our lifetime.
Father, You are faithful, righteous, and just. You are more aware of the evil in this world than I am. You see things that would shock me. You are fully aware of the wickedness of mankind. And while I think things are spinning out of control, You maintain a firm grasp on the reigns of this world and its inhabitants. You are sovereign and You are righteous. You will one day make all things right. I can count on that. Help me to rejoice in it even when things seem out of control and the evil in this world seems to surround me. Amen