Forty Days in the PsalmsSample

"Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble" (Psalm 10:1)?

You may have heard of “male pattern baldness”—the frequent condition that causes many men like me (Shawn) to lose their hair. I have another condition affecting many men: male pattern blindness! It’s common for me to look for something that is right in front of me. I finally ask my wife…

“Becki, are we out of mustard?”
“No, I just bought some. It’s in the pantry.”
“Well, I don’t see it.”

Then she will come beside me. And sure enough, there it is, right in front of me, where it was all along. It wasn’t hidden. I was just temporarily blind to its existence.

In this Psalm, the writer feels like God has hidden Himself. The crowd who lives however they please seems to be getting a break from trouble. Life is smooth and beautiful for them, but difficult for me. Where are you, God?

I’m thankful for these raw moments shared in the Psalms. It lets us know that we are not the first ones to feel like God has abandoned us to our trouble. The truth is, I am not only blind to what I’m looking for in my house. I am also temporarily blinded to God’s Presence and Activity. Just as my wife comes to help me see what is in front of me, I need the assurance in difficult moments that, although it seems like God is hiding Himself, He is there. When I invite Jesus into those moments, He helps me see what is in front of me. God was there all the time.

RESPOND IN PRAYER:

Be honest with God in your searching for Him. He is listening. The assurance will come. “…you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear...” (Psalm 10:17).