God in Hiding

Amen. Well, let's open up our Bibles this morning to the Book of Psalms. Book of Psalms. We are

diving into our summer series in the Book of Psalms this morning, beginning again. We preached

Psalms chapters 1 through 9 last summer, and we're beginning in chapter 10 this summer. And for the

Psalms 1 · chapter mention

next 11 weeks, we'll be walking through the Book of Psalms, chapters 10 through 20. We paused our

Psalms 10 · chapter mention

series in Daniel. We were preaching Daniel chapter 1 through 6, and we'll pick that up, Lord willing,

Daniel 1 · chapter mention

in the fall. But this morning, we begin with Psalm chapter 10. So when you found that in your Bibles,

Psalms 10 · chapter mention

if you would, let's stand together in honor of God's Word as I read Psalm chapter 10.

Psalms 10 · chapter mention

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In arrogance,

the wicked hotly pursue the poor. Let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.

For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces

the Lord. In the pride of his face, the wicked 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 foes,

he puffs at them. He says in his heart, I shall not be moved. Throughout all generations, I shall not

meet adversity. His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression. Under his tongue are

mischief and iniquity. He sits in ambush in the villages. In hiding places, he murders the innocent.

His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless. 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. The helpless

are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. He says in his heart, God has forgotten. He has hidden

his face. He will never see it. Arise, O Lord. O God, lift up your hand. Forget not the afflicted.

Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, you will not call to account?

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.

Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer. Call his wickedness to account until you find none.

The Lord is king forever and ever. The nations perish from his land. O Lord, you hear the desire of the

afflicted. You will strengthen their heart. You will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and

the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. Lord, we thank you again for your

good and holy word. And we pray for ears to hear it and hearts to receive it and to understand it. We pray in Christ's name. Amen.

You may be seated.

You may have heard and seen a missions organization in the news over the past few weeks called Missions in Haiti, Inc.

And the website for Missions in Haiti, Inc. says that its goal as an organization is to see the gospel of Christ make a difference in the lives of Haiti's young people.

And so the organization, it seeks specifically to share the gospel with the youth in Haiti because as they said on their website,

they said although the entire nation is steeped in poverty, the children suffer the worst.

Thousands are malnourished, uneducated, and headed for hopeless lives apart from Christ. That's the situation in Haiti.

The organization has started a home called the House of Compassion that houses 18 boys and 18 girls

through their schooling age all the way until they are independent and able to provide for themselves.

They've started another boys' home that has 22 young boys there cared for,

along with a church that they've established there in Haiti and a school with over 240 students,

all with the goal of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and the love of Jesus Christ with the young and the weak and the vulnerable there in Haiti.

That's what Christians do. That's what God has done for us in Christ.

And so we share that heart of compassion for the weak.

But if you saw them in the news, then you know that they weren't in the news for the incredible work that they've been doing.

They were in the news because three of their leaders, Davy and Natalie Lloyd, age 23 and 21,

as well as Jude Montice, the country's director for Missions in Haiti, Inc.,

were ambushed as they left their church and eventually were gunned down and murdered by a gang.

And the sad truth is that this is the world that we live in.

The world that we live in is broken and it's cursed by sin.

And events like this, like what happened in Haiti, are commonplace.

They happen every day all over the globe.

And we know this. We know that this happens.

But even still, when we hear things like this, we have to ask,

why does this happen?

And our heart feels the injustice of situations like this.

And we want to cry out, God, that's not fair.

God, don't you see?

God, don't you care?

Where is God when things like this happen?

Where is God when the wicked attack?

Does he not see what's happening here?

Why does he not step in and act and make things right?

Well, thankfully, none of us in the room, as far as I'm aware,

have experienced that level of attack and injustice.

But I'd be willing to bet that all of us on some level have seen or experienced some sort of injustice.

You know what unfair feels like, don't you?

And maybe you've been taken advantage of or treated unfairly.

Maybe you've been hurt and you feel like you did nothing to deserve it.

All of us in the world that we live in have come in close contact with wickedness.

And if you've ever asked these questions,

God, where are you?

God, why don't you act?

God, do you care?

God, do you see?

God, are you hearing my prayers?

If you've ever asked these questions, well, guess what?

You have a lot in common with King David here in Psalm chapter 10.

Psalms 10 · chapter mention

In fact, this entire section of Psalms that we're beginning this morning,

Psalms chapter 10 through 14,

Psalms 10 · chapter mention

they give us an up close and personal view into the lives of the wicked.

And they describe for us what wickedness looks like here in our world.

And it gives us the response of the righteous to the wicked as well as God's response to the wicked.

Here in Psalm chapter 10, David shows us the response of the king to the actions of the wicked.

Psalms 10 · chapter mention

And we're going to see that response in three parts here this morning.

If you're taking notes, this helps you to follow along.

We see three responses here to the wicked.

We have the question in verse 1.

We have the case in verses 2 through 11.

And lastly, we'll see the confidence in verses 12 through 18.

The question, the case, and the confidence.

First, verse 1, it gives us the question.

It really is two questions, isn't it?

Look there to verse 1.

David is looking out at the actions of the wicked,

and we'll see exactly what those actions were here in just a moment.

But he looks out at the actions of the wicked, and he calls out to God,

God, why are you not doing something about this?

God, where are you?

And sometimes when we see the wickedness in the world, we want to cry out,

why is it that the wicked seem to be able to do whatever it is they want to do,

and they prosper?

Why is it that the wicked get to take advantage of the poor and the vulnerable?

Why is it that the wicked seem to run rampant,

and God doesn't seem to do anything about it?

They don't suffer any sort of consequence.

Why is it that the wicked seem to prosper while the righteous seem to suffer?

But you know, it's interesting here, the questions David asks.

He doesn't ever ask why the wicked do what they do.

That question never crosses his mind.

He understands that the wicked are wicked.

He doesn't need anybody to explain why the wicked act wickedly.

His questions, they're directed to the Lord.

You see this too, don't you?

You know, aren't you seeing the same thing that I'm seeing?

So why does it seem as if you've hidden yourself?

Why do you stand far away while the wicked go and they do whatever they want to do?

You know, at first glance, as we read this, these questions,

they seem on the surface like they might be offensive to the Lord

or irreverent to ask these questions.

But really, what I want you to see here is that

these questions are rooted in what David knows

and believes to be true about God and his character.

David knows that God is just,

so therefore, why is he letting all of this slide?

David knows that God sees all.

He knows that he's sovereign,

so therefore, why does it seem like God has hidden himself?

David knows that God is good,

so therefore, he asks God,

God, where are you?

See, these questions, they aren't attacks on God's character.

These questions, these are questions of faith.

These are expressions of confidence in the character of God.

The wicked may ask,

where is your God?

And they ask in disbelief,

not thinking that God will ever call them to account,

but the righteous,

they look out and they see the wicked running rampant,

and they ask,

God, where are you?

Not because they don't believe God is there,

but because they do believe he's there.

So they ask these questions in faith.

You know, these questions are rooted in a tension

that I'm confident all of us feel.

Am I alone in this?

All of us feel this tension here on this side of eternity.

We know that God is good.

We know that God is sovereign.

We know that God is just.

We know that God will right every wrong.

We know that God sees and he cares,

and yet, here and now,

the wicked seem to get away with a whole lot, don't they?

And the wicked are often successful in their efforts.

They pile up money.

They get promoted at work.

They seem like they can do whatever they want to do without any consequence.

Those who know the Lord, we feel this tension.

We know God is good.

So where is he?

Where is he when three missionaries are gunned down by wicked men in Haiti?

And how can they just get away with it?

We know the names of the dead, but we have no idea the names of the attackers.

Why?

Because they're off running free.

When will a good God step in and make things right?

This is the tension that David is feeling.

Do you feel it?

And I know that we understand these questions too, church.

This isn't just an abstract concept for us.

You know, we pray together every week in Sunday school,

and as we meet together in different venues,

and I hear your struggles.

Where is God when evil men hack into our bank accounts and steal our money?

Steal our identity.

Make our lives difficult.

Where is God when someone lets their dogs loose on our property?

Wreak havoc.

Destroy what belongs to us.

Where is God when a contractor takes all of our money and doesn't come to finish the job?

Why is he not stepping in and coming to the rescue like he did with Daniel?

We've been studying Daniel.

And Daniel was tossed into the lion's den.

The scheme of the wicked was to destroy him.

God intervened, redeemed him immediately.

Why does he do that all the time?

You know, the hard truth is that that sort of miraculous intervention of divine justice,

like what we saw with Daniel, is the exception rather than the rule.

Often, unfortunately, we don't get justice here.

Often, unfortunately, the wicked seem to win.

And unfortunately, we may never fully have these questions answered on this side of eternity,

at least not in the way that we want them to be.

But if anything, this first verse of Psalm chapter 10, I think David shows us that these questions are okay to ask.

Psalms 10 · chapter mention

These questions are okay for us to ask as we look out and we see the wickedness around us.

But more than that, I believe that if you are grieved by injustice that you see here in the world,

if you're bothered by wickedness,

if you're personally affected by any sort of injustice or wickedness,

it is good and it is right for us as God's people to cry out in prayer and call upon the Lord to act.

Not doubting who he is, not doubting his goodness, but appealing to his goodness.

God, would you see and would you do something about this?

David shows us that it's okay to ask these questions in faith

and appeal to God's holiness and his justice

and to ask, Lord, I know you're good, I know you're sovereign, I know you're just,

so will you act?

David asks these questions in verse 1 and then 2nd, in verses 2 through 11,

David lays out his case before the Lord.

This is our second point.

The second response is the case.

David is fully aware of the wickedness around him

and so he begins to call it out.

It's as if he's acting like a prosecuting attorney.

He's bringing his case before the judge.

He's listing out all the offenses,

all the ways that the wicked are guilty.

Verses 2 through 11 are exhibit A through Z.

So what is it that has David so bothered?

Well, we don't know exactly the specific situation,

what the issue was here,

but we do know clearly that these wicked people

were taking advantage of the poor.

Look there to verse 2.

Verse 2 says,

In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor.

In verse 8,

it says,

He sits in ambush in the villages,

in hiding places.

He murders the innocent.

His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless.

He lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket.

David says,

The wicked lurks that he may seize the poor

and draws him into his net.

The helpless are crushed,

sink down,

and fall by his might.

The wicked are attacking the poor.

Why would they do this?

It's because the poor are vulnerable.

They're an easy target.

And these wicked people aren't pursuing the rich.

They're not pursuing the strong.

They're not pursuing anybody

who might theoretically be able to defend themselves.

They're taking advantage of the weak and the vulnerable.

It says that they lurk like a lion.

I don't know if you've ever watched a National Geographic show

and seen a lion go on the hunt.

Lions go after the weak, don't they?

And the vulnerable,

they take the first easy meal they can get.

If a zebra falls away from that pack,

if they start to slow down,

if they break their leg,

they don't keep running for the strong,

what do they do?

They attack the weak.

That's who the lion is after.

In a similar way,

David says,

The wicked are hunting down the poor

and the vulnerable

because to them,

they're easy targets.

This is evil behavior.

This is far from the heart of God.

The Lord cares for the orphan and the widow.

The Lord has a heart that cares for the fatherless,

for the poor,

for the helpless,

for the oppressed,

and he calls his people to do the same.

But to the wicked,

they don't see a need to meet

or a person to love.

They see an opportunity to exploit.

And apparently,

their weapon of choice here,

verse 7,

it says,

is their words.

Verse 7 says,

Their mouths are filled with cursing

and deceit

and oppression.

And under his tongue

are mischief

and iniquity.

The weapon that the wicked

use to trap the poor

and the vulnerable

is a net of lying words.

And I know I don't have to tell you

that here,

some 3,000 years later

in the year 2024,

not much has changed.

It's a sad truth,

but we know this.

You cannot believe

everything somebody tells you.

You cannot believe

everything you see on television.

You cannot trust

every word that you read.

You cannot trust

every person that you meet.

Now, we don't need to be

jaded

and distrust anybody

and everything.

We don't need to be

overly skeptical

of everybody

and everything that we hear,

but we do need to be

wise as serpents

and innocent as doves.

We do need to understand

that wicked people then

and wicked people now

still want to trap you

with lying words.

I almost got caught

the other day.

Everywhere you turn,

there's a new scam

to fall into.

I don't know how many times

I've been called

saying that I owe back taxes

or need a new insurance plan.

It's about every day now.

I saw somebody

giving away a guitar.

They said that

they had the sob story.

It was moving.

Their son had died

in a car crash

and they had this guitar

at their home

that they wanted to go

to a good home.

They didn't want to sit there

and look at it anymore.

And they said,

I will give this guitar

away for free

if you will just give me

your payment information

so that you can pay

shipping for it,

but you get the instrument

for free, right?

Should have known better.

But the fact is

there are scams

everywhere you turn.

There's people wanting

to take advantage of you

everywhere you turn.

Elder fraud

is increasingly common

and the FBI actually says

that senior citizens

lose over $3 billion

every year

to elder fraud.

And I won't tell you

who fits in this category

and who doesn't?

You can do that yourself.

But I will just say this.

We need to be aware.

People want to take

advantage of you.

They'll call you

and tell you

that you've won a sweepstakes

for just a small fee

you can collect.

And they'll sell you insurance

or some policy

you don't really need

or that may not exist.

They'll call you

and tell you

a loved one is in jail

and need money

to be bailed out.

There are a million ways

that you can get

taken advantage of.

The possibilities are endless

and increasingly endless

for a wicked person

to make a quick dime

off of somebody vulnerable.

And David's bothered

by this.

David's upset

about this.

And David says

that ultimately

this type of wickedness,

you know where it begins?

Ultimately,

this type of wickedness

is rooted in a

heart rejection

of God.

Verse 3.

It says,

the wicked boast

of the desires

of his soul.

He's prideful.

And the one greedy

for gain

curses

and renounces

the Lord.

In the pride

of his face,

the wicked does not

seek him.

All of his thoughts

are there is no God.

You know,

another way to translate that,

you might have a footnote

there at the bottom,

is that in the pride

of his anger,

the wicked says

he will not

call to account.

In other words,

God won't do

anything about this.

I can do

whatever

I want.

And God

won't

call it

to account.

And David says,

God,

don't you see

what they're doing?

Here in verses

2-11,

it's as if David

is pointing

all of this out.

He's laying it all out

before the Lord.

And he's saying,

God,

they say you won't

judge them

because you

haven't judged them.

They're saying

there's no consequence

for their actions

because there haven't

been any consequences

for their actions.

They're rich

and fat

and happy

and successful

and they're doing great

while your people

are struggling.

Why don't you

do something about it?

His ways

prosper at all times,

he says in verse 5.

And because of this,

because of this

complete lack

of consequence,

he says in his heart,

I shall not be moved.

Throughout all generations,

I shall not meet

adversity.

The issue here

is that God's

inaction

in the face

of injustice

makes the wicked

feel invincible.

evil.

They've assumed

that God's inaction

means God's indifference.

But we know

that that's a fatal mistake.

And we know

God is not

indifferent

to the actions

of the wicked.

And the Bible

speaks about God's

delaying judgment

not as a sign

of indifference

but as a demonstration

of his patience.

It's our issue

and when we look out

and when we see

wickedness

all around us,

when we see the wicked

being successful

in their efforts

to exploit the poor,

when we see the wicked

doing whatever

they want to do

and it seems like

God isn't doing

anything about it,

our issue

isn't that we

are more just

than God

or that we

are more holy

than God

or that we

are more aware

of the situation

than God.

but that we

are far less

patient

than God.

God

is infinitely

just.

He is infinitely

holy.

He is

totally

aware

of every

situation

in his domain

everywhere

on the earth

at all times

and in all places

and yet

God is

patient

towards the wicked.

God is

long

suffering

towards the wicked.

He delays

judgment

but not

forever.

He is not

infinitely

patient

towards the wicked

and one day

that bill

will come

due.

And so it's

because of this

that David

calls out to the

Lord third

with confidence.

here in

verses 12

through 18

this is the

third response

of the king

the Lord

David

calls out

in confidence

to the Lord.

Look there

to verse 12.

David turns

his attention

from the wicked

now to the Lord

and he prays

arise

arise O Lord

O God

lift up

your hand

forget not

the afflicted

why does the

wicked

renounce God

and say in his

heart you will

not call to

account

but you do

see

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

break the arm

of the wicked

and evil doer

call his wickedness

to account

till you find

none

this is a call

for God

to take action

why?

because again

David is confident

in the holy

character of God

and once again

we've come

full circle here

you see that?

once again

we're back

to the holy

righteous

character of God

the sovereign

kingship

of a good

and holy God

the same

character

the same

confidence

in the character

of God

that led David

to ask

the question

where are you?

is the same

character

and confidence

that leads

David now

to call God

to action

David shows us

that the confidence

of the righteous

in the face

of wickedness

and injustice

is that

the Lord

is king

verse 16

the Lord

is king

forever

and ever

the nations

perish

from his land

oh Lord

you hear

the desire

of the afflicted

you will

strengthen

their heart

you will

incline

your ear

to do justice

to the fatherless

and the oppressed

so that man

who is of the earth

may strike terror

no more

church

God's

kingship

is our

ultimate confidence

in the face

of wickedness

and injustice

David the king

he looks up

and he

he rests

in the truth

that ultimately

God

the king

does what a good

king ought to do

that God

the king

makes certain

that justice

is done

that God

the king

makes certain

that the afflicted

one

is cared for

and restored

that God

the king

makes certain

that all his enemies

are dealt with

in full

he rests

in the truth

that God

the king

is both

strong

and tender

he is a terror

to the wicked

but a helper

to the fatherless

this is both

a word of

warning for the wicked

and a word of comfort

for the afflicted

God

is king

and God

sees

all

it's a warning

for the wicked

that when we think

that no one

is watching

when we think

that we've

successfully hidden

our sin

maybe we can hide

things from one another

maybe we can deceive

one another

but the Lord

is not fooled

the Lord

takes note

of every evil deed

this is a call

for the wicked

to repent

because no one

can hide their sin

from the Lord

the only place to run

is to him

for mercy

it's a warning

to the wicked

and at the same time

it's a comfort

for those

who are afflicted

God

the king

will take

your affliction

into his

own

hands

God

hears

your cries

God

sees

your struggle

verse 14

says

you will take

it into

your

hands

you break

the arm

of the wicked

and the

evildoer

you call

his wickedness

to account

till you find

none

how liberating

is that truth

some of us

have a hard time

with this

as we get

this

this pent up

anger

and frustration

we call it

righteous

anger

we get so

mad

and so

worked up

and we

turn on the

news

and we

see injustice

everywhere

we look

but listen

to this

and just rest

in this truth

Christian

our confidence

is that

God

the king

will himself

take up

the cause

of the weak

God

himself

will take up

the cause

of the afflicted

and the poor

God

himself

will defend

his people

and God

himself

will repay

every wicked

deed

which means

we don't have

to go around

breaking the arms

of the wicked

and evildoers

as much as

we may like to

God

will do it

we can

turn the other

cheek

when we're

wronged

not because

justice is not

important

but because

we are

confident

God

our king

has seen

it

and God

our king

will

address it

if any

of us

have been

wronged

we

we rest

in the

sovereign

reign

of God

and we

trust

that God

himself

will take

up

our

cause

commit

yourself

to him

and our

confidence

and David's

confidence

is that

God

the king

will execute

justice

God

the king

will

relieve

his

people

and he

will

judge

the

wicked

but I

have one

more

question

here

for us

which is

when

when

we believe

that God

will do

this

we believe

that there's

relief coming

for his

people

we believe

that there's

a day

coming

when judgment

will be

brought upon

the wicked

but when

I'd like you

to flip over

to 2nd

Thessalonians

as we close

chapter 5

through 9

excuse me

chapter 1

verses 5

through 9

Paul writes

this is evidence

of the righteous

judgment of

God

that you may

be considered

worthy of the

kingdom of

God

for which

you are also

suffering

since indeed

God considers

it just

to repay

with affliction

those who

afflict you

and to grant

relief to you

who are afflicted

as well as

to us

when

when will

justice come

when will

God repay

his enemies

and relieve

his afflicted

people

look there

when the

Lord

Jesus

is revealed

from heaven

with his

mighty angels

and flaming

fire

inflicting

vengeance

on those

who do

not know

God

and on

those who

do not

obey

the gospel

of our

Lord

Jesus

they will

suffer the

punishment

of eternal

destruction

away from

the presence

of the

Lord

and from

the glory

of his

might

when

when he

comes on

that day

to be glorified

in his

saints

and to be

marveled at

among all

who have

believed

because our

testimony

to you

was believed

church our

ultimate

hope

for justice

is not

here

and now

we may

never

get

perfect

justice

here

and now

we may

suffer loss

here

and now

we will

be cheated

and we

will be

wronged

and the

wicked

will look

like they're

getting

away with

it

but our

hope

and our

confidence

is not

in the

here

and now

ultimately

our

confidence

is in

the day

of the

Lord

when our

King

Jesus

Christ

will return

to relieve

his

saints

and to

afflict

his

enemies

for

final

and

complete

justice

it's

then

that the

wicked

will finally

be judged

and the

righteous

will finally

be

delivered

here in

part

but then

in

full

that's

our

hope

so

church

our

call

as we

face

all sorts

of wickedness

here

in this

world

our

call

is to

rest

in the

reign

of

King

Jesus

and to

call upon

him

for

that

future

coming

justice

to break

its way

into

the

present

but we

know

that

justice

will only

come in

full

on that

day

when he

returns

and so

we live

each

day

now

in light

of that

coming

day

if

you're

not

a

follower

of

Jesus

Christ

the

application

for you

from this

passage

is to

repent

and to

call upon

him in

faith

to bend

the knee

to King

Jesus

to trust

in him

and he

will not

turn even

the most

wicked

sinner

away

and if

you are

afflicted

if you're

tired

of seeing

injustice

every single

day

here in

this

present

age

our

application

this

morning

is to

take

heart

Christ

our

King

knows

exactly

what it's

like

to face

affliction

at the

hands

of evil

men

does he

not

Christ

the

King

steps

down

into

our

weakness

steps

down

into

our

flesh

to

suffer

to

be

beaten

and

to

die

if

anybody

had

a

claim

to

say

that's

not

fair

it

was

Christ

and

that

he

triumphed

over

sin

and

darkness

and

the

grave

he

rose

from

the

grave

the

first

time

he

came

to

suffer

and

die

and

rise

and

the

next

time

he

comes

it

will

be

to

reign

forever

and

to

bring

perfect

justice

I

want

to

close

this

morning

by

pointing

you

to

a

passage

that

we

know

well

from

the

book

of

Revelation

this

is

where

the

story

ends

church

this

is

our

hope

that

we

have

to

look

forward

to

gives

gives

us

a

picture

of

what

God's

people

have

to

look

forward

to

when

Christ

returns

Revelation

22

it says

behold

the dwelling

place

of God

is with

man

he will

dwell

with them

and they

will be

his

people

and

God

himself

will

be

with

them

as

their

God

he

will

wipe

away

every

tear

from

their

eyes

and

death

shall

be

no

more

neither

shall

there

be

mourning

nor

crying

nor

pain

anymore

for

the

former

things

have

passed

away

it says

no longer

will there

be

anything

accursed

but

the throne

of God

and of

the

lamb

will

be

in

it

and

his

servants

will

worship

him

they

will

see

his

face

and

here's

how

it

ends

he

who

testifies

to

these

things

says

surely

I

am

coming

soon

surely

I

am

coming

soon

surely

I

am

coming

soon

if you

are

walking

in

wickedness

the

day

of

judgment

is

coming

soon

and

if

you

are

afflicted

if

you

are

tired

of

injustice

if

you

are

ready

for

wickedness

to be

dealt

with

surely

I

am

coming

soon

we

say

amen

come

Lord

Jesus

let's

pray

Lord

we

do

desire

for

wickedness

in

this

day

to

be

dealt

with

Lord

it's

our

heart

desire

that

you

would

bring

justice

and

we

thank

you

Father

for

the

hope

of

Christ

that

you

have

shown

us

at

the

cross

how

seriously

you

take

sin

that

you

have

shown

us

perfect

justice

and

given

us

certain

hope

for

salvation

at

the

cross

and

Lord

the

great

hope

that

we

have

of

his

return

that

he

will

come

and

reign

forever

no

longer

will

there

be

anything

accursed

any

wickedness

or

any

death

or

any

pain

Father

we

we

pray

God

that

if

there

are

any

who

do

not

know

you

Lord

would

you

draw

them

to

yourself

and

give

them

the

hope

of

Christ

this

morning

we

pray

all

of

this

in

Jesus

name

amen