Daily Manna 4 January
MEMORY VERSE: “Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1).
READ: 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.
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
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.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 11-13.
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Where is God? – by Pastor Enoch A.
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Daily Manna 4 January 2021
