Arise, O Lord!
Scripture reading for August 28: Psalm 10:12, 17-18 “Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Your hand; forget not the afflicted. . . .O Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; You will strengthen their heart; You will incline Your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that the man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.”
Hebrews 13:5-6 “. . .for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
The psalmist in Psalm 10 struggles with thinking that the Lord is far away from him in his time of trouble. He questions ‘why’ he feels isolated from God. It appears that the wicked are prospering even though they forget God and even curse Him. They break His laws with impunity thinking in their hearts that God doesn’t see or care what they do. This is often the mindset of those suffering from sickness, disease, or oppression in its various tormenting forms. Their feelings are based on their visual observations and experience in the world and this leads to despair.
But God tells us to call out to Him in our afflictions. “Arise, O Lord” is the cry of the believer who trusts in God. They ask God to take notice and take action on their behalf. They confess in faith that God will not forget them as He has said that He would never leave us or forsake us. If God has promised, then that is the reality that the believer acts on. They don’t rely on their feelings or what the circumstances tell them through their natural senses. They trust God’s Word and His eternal power and ability to act on their behalf. They choose not to fear man or their enemy that is attacking them or sickness or disease. They confidently state; “I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Because they believe by faith that God hears and will act, they rest in Him Alone.
Prayer: Father God, thank You that in Your Son Jesus Christ, You arose and lifted up the Man of Your Right Hand. He bore all of our afflictions and oppression in His body on the cross that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. We confidently confess: “The Lord is my Helper!” Amen!
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