This Psalm begins with a complaint (v1). God seems to be at a distance while evil people prosper. The wicked man persecutes the poor (v2), boasts and renounces the Lord (v3-4), sneers at his enemies (v5), believes he will not be moved (v6), curses (v7), plots (v8-10) and discounts God’s judgement (v11).

How is the believer to respond to this? While we must always be reverent, we need to be honest with God about how we feel. We’re not to put our head in the sand while evil advances all around, we need to deal with the reality of evil through faith.

As the Psalmist seeks for the Lord to act (v12-15), he reminds himself and God what the Lord is like. The result of this is a great statement of faith and hope (v16-18). By taking this matter to the Lord in prayer and focusing on who God is, he has moved from despair and anger to faith and hope.

‘O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to the Lord in prayer.’ Having peace and hope in a world of evil and suffering, can only be experienced by taking time to be alone with the Lord.