Dear God, Where Are You?

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Dear God, Where Are You?

Date: Feb. 15, 2026

Passage

Psalm 10:1-18 (ESV)

1   Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
    Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2   In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
    let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
3   For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
    and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.
4   In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
    all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5   His ways prosper at all times;
    your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
    as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
6   He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
    throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
7   His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
    under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
8   He sits in ambush in the villages;
    in hiding places he murders the innocent.
  His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9     he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
  he lurks that he may seize the poor;
    he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
10   The helpless are crushed, sink down,
    and fall by his might.
11   He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
    he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
12   Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand;
    forget not the afflicted.
13   Why does the wicked renounce God
    and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
14   But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
    that you may take it into your hands;
  to you the helpless commits himself;
    you have been the helper of the fatherless.
15   Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
    call his wickedness to account till you find none.
16   The LORD is king forever and ever;
    the nations perish from his land.
17   O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
    you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
18   to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
    so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 10:17

O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

There are days when we may doubt that God is here among us. We may wonder if God is being aloof when so many in the world are suffering under the oppression of powerful people who seem to do whatever they please. The rich and powerful find their way to protect and benefit themselves, while the helpless continue to be crushed. It makes us wonder who or what does God stand for?

Still, we call out to God in prayer to rise up against the evils of the world and to not forget the oppressed. God has sent his own son to be the healer of the sick, to comfort those who are mourning, and to give food to those who are hungry. While we may prefer to delight in the downfall of the wicked, we can find comfort in the humility of our God to be with us in our suffering. God’s love and sacrifice give our souls a hope of salvation that cannot be crushed by anyone or anything.

Prayer: Lord, hear the cries of our suffering. Give us hope and salvation from evil.

One Word: God is with those who suffer

Paul’s Labor for the Church

Colossians 1:24-2:5

Key Verse: 1:1:28

Greeting

1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Today's Question

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