NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

July 8

Scripture focus: Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD. The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him all his thoughts are, "There is no God." His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his adversaries, he snorts at them. 6He says to himself, "I will not be moved; throughout all generations I will not be in adversity." His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is mischief and wickedness. He sits in the lurking places of the villages; in the hiding places he kills the innocent; his eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate. 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. He crouches, he bows down, and the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones. He says to himself, "God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it." Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand do not forget the afflicted. Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, "You will not require it." You have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand.

The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan. Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, seek out his wickedness until You find none. The LORD is King forever and ever; nations have perished from His land. O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror. Psalm 10

The catalyst for my season of self-reflection began with a broken heart skillfully pierced on the night before I flew home to visit my grandmother who was in the process of dying unexpectedly in the hospital. I also found out the day prior that my rooming situation was changing and I had no promising leads on a new home. And my car broke down. And my computer crashed. Each of these situations on its own may have been somewhat manageable, but I found the combination overwhelming. I needed to cry out to God but I would not allow myself to do so. Have you ever resisted a good cry out to God? swm

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