Why standest thou afar off, O LORD ? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
Psalm 10:1
Why does God stand afar off? Why hide himself?
God hiding himself | standing afar off, is a consequence of sin.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Recommended reading: Psalm 13:1 how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
Ezekiel 39:24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
God didn’t start hiding when times of trouble came, rather times of trouble came because we sinned against him and he allowed the consequences to come our way
Hear me speedily, O LORD : my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
Psalm 143:7
Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
Psalm 104:29
But God promised that if we call when in trouble, even though the trouble is a result of our own bad choices (sin), he would deliver us: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. – Psalm 50:15
This is where this question testifies|concerns Jesus.
He is the deliverer, our present help in the time of trouble (Psalm 46:1).
Those under the Old testament were waiting for the deliverer, the saviour, the one who would rescue them from trouble: O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. – Isaiah 33:2
His coming signaled the dawn of a new day, the end of the night. When the tears shed in the night of weeping will be wiped away: For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. – Psalm 30:5
How does he save us from the trouble? By allowing us to draw near once more. No longer will God be afar off, no longer will God’s face be hidden because the truth (Jesus) has come:
The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Psalm 145:18
For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did ; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Hebrews 7:19
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
James 4:8
Through Jesus, and the blood that he shed, we can be cleansed of sin and therefore get to know (draw near) God. No longer will his face be hidden, for in seeing Jesus, we see God’s face:
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6
But… doesn’t the Bible say we will die if we see his face?
The Face of God series addresses this question in great detail. But for now, we see from that above, that Jesus is the door to a “close” walk with God and when he is near, the devil cannot bring trouble (death) our way.
Hmm it seems like your site ate my first comment (it was super long) so I
guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your
blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new
to the whole thing. Do you have any suggestions for beginner blog writers?
I’d definitely appreciate it.
Hi fellow blogger
Thank you for taking the time to write. My heart is warmed in hearing that the content is being enjoyed, to God be the glory. There’s much to say by way of advice:
1. Let God be your guide – I’m assuming you’re a believer in Christ and therefore, this should go without saying, but I’ll say it nonetheless. Ask God to lead you, not just in terms of content, but even in purifying your heart where you seek his glory alone.
2. Don’t try churning out content just for the sake of doing so. I’ve had many occasions where for long periods, I can’t post anything cause I’m waiting on God to bring clarity on a particular verse. Wait! When he brings revelation, it will be worth it, and then you can write, share, with the confidence that what you received did not come from man, flesh and blood did not reveal it to you.
3. Do not be afraid of rejection – For a long time, there were things I was afraid to say due to fear of rejection. I have been rejected for some theological positions I have and I expect that there will be many in the future who will do the same. But I care only to share Christ as revealed throughout the scriptures. For love of God and desire to see souls come to him, share, whether they hear or forbear.
4. Don’t waste time on arguing with keyboard warriors. I spent many hours over the years debating with others. And one evening, God showed me how that time could be better spent putting out content to edify the body and bring lost souls to a saving Knowledge of Jesus the Lord. Not saying we can’t engage others on scripture, but when we do, let’s ensure it’s Spirit led and not pride in wanting to show them you’re right.
5. Do get consumed in ministry to the point of suffering your family or even your personal walk. Scripture says that if we don’t provide for our own household we are worse than infidels. Our homes is our first ministry, closet time with the Lord. Don’t get busy for God, that u can’t spend time with him.
6. That you won’t get distracted or disheartened by “much attention” or “no attention”. If we focus on responses or lack thereof, it’s easy to get distracted (pride) when a lot of people give praise to the content or be disheartened/discouraged when no one does.
7. Don’t compare or be envious of what God is doing through others vs what he’s doing with you. We each have our gift and particular calling. I’ve been doing daily words on Psalms over 5 years now and only now reach chapter 111, said daily words center on Christ (John 5:39) and go verse by verse showing how it speaks to Christ. That’s not the typical approach I see used by other believers but it’s where he has me.
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