5.20-God who do you stand far off?

5.20-

Lord,

At times today I have felt you were standing far away from me and my nation.

I see arrogant politicians making laws that let the rich off lightly and imprison the oppressed.

I see people proud of their lives instead of broken before you throne of grace.

I see television ministers raising funds for their second Private Jet after a “talk with God.”

I hear late night comedians blaspheme your name and get more and more prosperous.

But the poor, honest, single parent mom holds down two jobs and her car breaks down.

Our places of education must teach kids what is right and wrong without mentioning God.

What is wrong is not politically correct.

What is right is “hate speech”.

Those who give money to elect representatives get tax relief.

Those who try to vote meet impossible demands at the ballot box.

Those of us who pray for you to show up feel you are far away.

We are surrounded by people who laugh at us and say, “No one will ever do us harm.”

Media on the right and left and middle lie to us constantly.

Their native language is lying and deception.

The victims of the powerful catch the helpless and drag them away.

He proudly says, “God will never notice.”

I cry out, “Lord do not forget the helpless.”

Consider our grief and take our humble broken confession into account.

We are broken and powerless without you.

You are our King for ever and ever.

Nations who leave your way will be destroyed, but your word remains forever.

Psalm 10

Psalm 10^[aa]

¹ Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
    Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

² In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
    who are caught in the schemes he devises.
³ He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
    he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.
⁴ In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
    in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
⁵ His ways are always prosperous;
    your laws are rejected by^[ab] him;
    he sneers at all his enemies.
⁶ He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
    He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”

⁷ His mouth is full of lies and threats;
    trouble and evil are under his tongue.
⁸ He lies in wait near the villages;
    from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
⁹     like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;
    he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
¹⁰ His victims are crushed, they collapse;
    they fall under his strength.
¹¹ He says to himself, “God will never notice;
    he covers his face and never sees.”

¹² Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.
    Do not forget the helpless.
¹³ Why does the wicked man revile God?
    Why does he say to himself,
    “He won’t call me to account”?
¹⁴ But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
    you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
    you are the helper of the fatherless.
¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked man;
    call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
    that would not otherwise be found out.

¹⁶ The Lord is King for ever and ever;
    the nations will perish from his land.
¹⁷ You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
    you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
¹⁸ defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
    so that mere earthly mortals
    will never again strike terror.

Rise up and defend the children who are fatherless.

Come to the rescue of the oppressed.