[DCLM Daily Manna 4 January 2020] Topic: Where Is God?
TEXT:: Psalm 10:1-11.
1. Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
2. The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
3. For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
4. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
5. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
6. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
7. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
8. He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
9. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
10. He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
11. He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
KEY VERSE: “Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1).
MESSAGE: DCLM Daily Manna 4 January 2020 – Where Is God?
In 1755, an earthquake struck the city of Lisbon. It was All Saints Day when it happened, meaning that the churches were full. In just six minutes, 15,000 people were killed and another 15,000 severely wounded. French philosopher, Voltaire could not accept this disaster. He revolted against the problem of evil in the world. How can a person possibly believes in a good, wise and powerful God in the face of human suffering? Voltaire became a celebrated and dedicated atheist, and died in overt rebellion against God because of his inability to reconcile the presence of evil in a world governed by a merciful God.
Psalm 10 could be taken as a request for God to act. The Psalmist catalogued the presence of evil and several actions of the wicked that should have resulted instead in judgement and punishment from God; but there seems to be no immediate penalty. This confusion continued until he got a clarification from God.
Forgetting the problem of man’s rebellion against a just God that often prevents him from answering our prayers, atheists would rather use the presence of pain and suffering in the world as their biggest talking point. Whenever we violate God’s laws and set aside His commandments, trouble will certainly come; because hard is the way of transgressors. Man is a free moral agent and therefore can choose to do good or evil. God would not take away the freedom of choice from man, otherwise, as a robot, man can be excused if he is not responsible.
When we experience these kinds of situations where we cry to God and He appears silent, it calls for self-examination to discover our sins and shortcomings instead of blaming Him for failing to act. We must understand that God knows and will definitely uphold justice either immediately or at a future time.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Keep trusting God no matter what happens.
COVER TO COVER: Genesis 11-13.
Sure God is not classifying you as wicked?
1. Where is God when evil abounds (verse 1; Habakkuk 1:13.
“God is purer than to behold iniquity”. Where there is sin, God hides Himself. He did the same for His most beloved Son, Jesus, on the cross when Jesus bore our sins and He asked God “… why have you forsaken me”. Only true repentance makes the presence of God noticeable.
*Pray the prayer of repentance first if God is far from you and you could see sin in your life?
*Ask God to arise and judge wickedness in the land so that the wicked will repent ?.
2. What God Classified as Wickedness
a. Pride and disrespect, cheating or oppression of the poor (verses 2,8,9,10).
b. Boasting and subtle approval of the covetous (verse 3).
c. Proud appearance or comportment and no active or practical fear of God in the heart (verse 4).
d. Offending or hurting others carelessly without caring about their feelings (verse 5).
e. Fullness of self confidence with no consideration for God’s factor (verse 6).
f. Defiled tongue with cursing, deceit, mischief, fraud and vanity (verse 7).
*Check: If you are guilty of any of these, then God sees you as a wicked person no matter who you are.
*Lord, purge me of all hidden wickedness lurking in my heart.
*Lord, convict and purge all those having hidden wickedness in their hearts in the Church.
HYMN: When I Saw The Cleansing Fountain
1. When I saw the cleansing fountain,
Open wide for all my sin,
I obeyed the Spirit’s wooing
When He said, “Wilt thou be clean?”
Refrain:
I will praise Him! I will praise Him!
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory, all ye people,
For His blood can wash away each stain.
2. Tho’ the way seems straight and narrow,
All I claimed was swept away;
My ambitions, plans and wishes,
At my feet in ashes lay.
3. Blessed be the name of Jesus!
I’m so glad He took me in;
He’s forgiven my transgressions,
He has cleansed my heart from sin.
4. Glory, glory to the Father!
Glory, glory to the Son!
Glory, glory to the Spirit!
Glory to the Three in One!
DCLM Daily Manna 4 January 2020 Devotional was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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