Cries for help

O Lord, why do you stand so far away?

Why do you hide when I am in trouble?

The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor.

Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.

For they brag about their evil desires;

they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.

The wicked are too proud to seek God.

They seem to think that God is dead.

Yet they succeed in everything they do.

They do not see your punishment awaiting them.

They sneer at all their enemies.

They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us!

We will be free of trouble forever!”

 

Psalms 10:1-6

 

 Recently I've noticed a lot of posts from my friends questioning where God is when there are so many who suffer. They ask how can a God answer the prayers of those who need nothing and yet He does nothing for those in abusive situations. This is a concept I have frequently struggled with and I still struggle with it. It had even recently come up during a church service. The pastor mentioned how even back in the Psalms, these cries can be heard. When I look back at my life so far, I can see times where my prayers, when I did pray them, weren't answered and I was frustrated, upset, etc. at the time. Looking back on it though, I'm glad I didn't get those prayers answered. Most of them were selfish. 

Looking on a larger scale, for I've not always believed in Jesus and there was a period of time where I believed but was angry with God, I can see how in the end, those who are "wicked" and should be punished do sometimes actually receive their misery in this lifetime. I also have seen how well taken care of I am and how much happier I am without those desperate and selfish prayers being answered.

I have an aunt and uncle that I don't consider family. I am related to my uncle by blood but it isn't a strong tie. In fact, the only tie that managed to hold us together passed away 5 years ago today. My Gramps, his father. This couple were horrible relatives. Everything was always about them and their material goods. It was always frustrating to see them have "everything" and be such miserable people but still be succeeding. They decided to ignore our family until Grandma was diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly they were on-site, hoping to collect something from her passing. Then they were gone again. There was always this attitude of superiority with them. I remember them acting as though they were helping me by giving me clothing that she didn't want anymore and commenting on how I needed to learn to dress from someone with a better sense of style than my mom. 

All the time I remember thinking how unfair it was that they were such massive jerks and yet had all this money and stuff. Then when Gramps died, they were even larger jerks *and* were manipulating the estate to favor themselves. It got to the point where I couldn't let my mom tell me what they were doing because I would get so angry that I couldn't function.

So what does this have to do with this verse? I have been trying for months and months to read the Bible every day. I've got an app on my phone and everything and yet my follow through really sucks. Once again, I've reset this particular plan that has me reading the entire Bible in a year, which I've never done before. It's a couple of chapters and a Psalm every day. This was Wednesday's Psalm.  It's really struck a chord with me. I've learned to put faith in the Lord and to stop worrying about material possessions. I'm no longer afraid of what people like my aunt and uncle think or what they will do to me. No longer do I fall apart in rage because of the unfairness of it all. There is still anger and frustration but I can still function through it and find ways to move past it. Having God not answer my prayers to just get rid of these two people, I've grown closer to Him and have grown as a person, which I think is a much better lesson.

Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.

Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,

so mere people can no longer terrify them.

 

Psalms 10:17-18