Why are there so many Psalms pleading with God to mete out justice to His enemies? It isn’t just because God’s people are in great need of protection. No, the experience of God’s people throughout the centuries should have stripped away any illusions we might have about the basic goodness of humanity. Instead, human history should give us a clear vision of just how wicked those who refuse to seek the Lord can be (verse 4).

For the sad fact is that everyone worships someone or something. So if God isn’t the most important influence on your life, you’ll tend to focus on gaining your own heart’s desire (verse 3). And those who think there’s no God, those who deny there is anyone to hold them accountable for their actions, all too often fall into the snare of greed or pride (verses 3 and 4).

And what is the result of such self-focus? Proud self-confidence leads to disdain of others (verses 5-6) and then to cursing, deceit and oppression, and then to murder (verses 7-8). After all, if God doesn’t notice the evil things we do (verse 11), and if God isn’t interested in justice (verse 13), then why not do whatever you can get away with? Why not just use power and force to get what you want?

So, how should we pray when we see so much injustice in the world around us – the tanks rolling into Ukraine or the children injured in the crossfire of greedy gangsters? David shows us in verse 12: “Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Thy hand.” It is God on Whom we must rely to bring perfect justice to the world: “Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, seek out his wickedness until You find none” (verse 15).

And the good news is that we can be confident that God will indeed protect the unfortunate and the orphan (verse 14). Because He hears the prayers of the humble, we know He will strengthen our hearts (verse 17) and vindicate those who are oppressed (verse 18). So today, let us plead with the Prince of Peace to bring peace on earth.

Psalm 10 (NASB)

Why dost Thou stand afar off, O LORD? Why dost Thou hide Thyself in times of trouble?
2 In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD.
4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5 His ways prosper at all times; Thy judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.
6 He says to himself, “I shall not be moved; Throughout all generations I shall not be in adversity.”
7 His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.
8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills the innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.
9 He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair; He lurks to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.
10 He crouches, he bows down, And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones.
11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”
12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Thy hand. Do not forget the afflicted.
13 Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, “Thou wilt not require it.”
14 Thou hast seen it, for Thou hast beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Thy hand. The unfortunate commits himself to Thee; Thou hast been the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until Thou dost find none.
16 The LORD is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from His land.
17 O LORD, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble; Thou wilt strengthen their heart, Thou wilt incline Thine ear
18 To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, That man who is of the earth may cause terror no more.