Psalm 10

1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.

3 He boasts of the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5 His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies.

6 He says to himself, “Nothing will shake me;
I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.”

7 His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.

8 He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent,
watching in secret for his victims.

9 He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
he lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

10 His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.

11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
he covers his face and never sees.”

12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.

13 Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
“He won’t call me to account”?

14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness
that would not be found out.

As mentioned many times in the Bible (for example, Psalm 8), God has given us dominion over every living creature and the things on the earth. However, because of our sinful nature, we have abused our authority and used it to satisfy our sinful desires.

In psalm 10, it talks clearly about the wicked man who hunts down the weak. He cares nothing about God and is concerned only about making himself prosperous.

Though I don't think I'm as wicked as the man mentioned in the Bible, I do recognize that there are times in my life whereby I neglected my responsibilities as a cell leader and as a teacher. Or even worse, I even sometimes vent my frustrations on the people under me. As a result, my cell members and my students did not receive the things that they ought to receive. This can be considered ways of abusing the authority that God has given me.


A man of God should have the characteristics of God as mentioned in verses 14, 17 and 18: defend the fatherless and the oppressed, encourage the afflicted and listen to their cries, and prevent those who terrify others.

Things to ponder
1. What are some situations that you've abused the things that God has blessed you with?
2. Think about the earth whereby God has given you dominion over; in what ways have you abused the earth by wasting electricity or wasting other kinds of resources?
3. What are you going to do to change? Confess and repent before the Lord straight away.


Dear God, I confess that there are times whereby I've abused my authority as a cell leader and as a teacher. I ask for You forgiveness today and pray that from now on, I will take upon my roles even more seriously so that the people under me can be blessed. Lord, I know that I'm not perfect, but You are. Your grace is sufficient for me. I claim that in the name of Jesus. I want to defend the fatherless, encourage the afflicted and deny the wicked. I pray all this in Jesus' most mighty name. Amen!

Click here for Pastor YC's Reflection on Psalm 10