This little finch was on the grass in front of the church—quietly receiving God’s daily portion. No panic. No performance. Just trust.
And I thought: that’s what Psalm 10 trains in us.
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The King Over the Shadows
Some enemies don’t try to win by brute force. They win by pulling our attention off-center.
Early in our ministry years, across several churches and church plants, we walked with young people whose lives had been marked by trauma and spiritual confusion. Occasionally, during prayer times, intense and disruptive reactions would surface. Everyone would look. Focus would scatter. A moment meant for healing would begin orbiting around disruption.
At first, we responded with urgency. We gathered around. We prayed hard. We tried to “solve” the moment in the moment.
But when patterns repeated, we learned to do something that feels almost unspiritual to the anxious part of us:
We paused. We prayed and talked about it. We refused to be dragged.
As a leadership team, we sensed the cycle was being reinforced by the spotlight itself. So we made a quiet shift. The next time it happened, one designated leader calmly stepped aside with the person and prayed with quiet, nondisruptive authority. The rest of us continued ministering to others, unhurried, undistracted, steady.
The atmosphere changed.
The cycle broke. Over time, some of those young people found deep healing and stability. Today, some are walking faithfully with Jesus, serving quietly, hosting a small group, strengthening others with the same steady grace they once needed.
No drama. No spectacle. Just the slow power of God.
And as I read Psalm 10 this week, I thought: David understands this kind of battle.
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Naming the Pattern Without Worshiping It
Psalm 10 is remarkably honest. David doesn’t pretend evil is imaginary. He names it plainly:
The wicked lurk in secret.
They watch the vulnerable.
They set traps.
They exploit the “unfortunate”—the wounded, the traumatized, the easily targeted.
But David does something crucial: he names the pattern without giving it the throne.
Listen to the inner voice of arrogance:
“He says to himself, ‘Nothing will shake me… I will never be in adversity.’” (Psalm 10:6)
That voice is ancient, an immunity fantasy, a lie of untouchable autonomy. It echoes the first whisper of the serpent: “You will not…”
Evil loves to sound permanent. It loves to say, “I cannot be moved.”
Then David asks the question many of us carry in our bones:
“Why does the wicked despise God and say, ‘You will not call me to account’?” (Psalm 10:13)
Why does evil talk like God is absent? Like accountability is a myth? Like there is no King?
David’s answer is not an endless argument. Not a spiral. Not a sleepless obsession with hidden plots.
It’s a throne:
“The LORD is King forever and ever.” (Psalm 10:16)
That sentence is oxygen for the anxious heart.
Not the wicked. Not the shadowy forces. Not old serpent-lies.
The LORD is King. Forever.
Don’t Feed the Rabbit Holes
Here’s where Psalm 10 gets uncomfortably practical.
It is very easy to get pulled into conspiracy theories that create fear, defiance, or apprehension. It’s not always malicious. Often it starts as “discernment.”
But over time, it becomes attention captivity.
And attention is never neutral.
When we give more airtime to hidden enemies than to the reigning King, something shifts in us:
Fear starts steering
Suspicion grows
Our tone hardens
The gospel moves to the margins
The vulnerable become invisible
Psalm 10 does not call us to chase shadows. It calls us to shelter the afflicted.
A Dream I Still Remember
I once had a dream in which I was caught in a conflict that wouldn’t die. Round and round it went, words, reactions, explanations, rebuttals.
Finally, in the dream, the Lord nailed my tongue to a board for a while. I couldn’t keep it going.
And then, quietly, the conflict died.
Some battles feed on our words. Some fires live on the oxygen we keep supplying.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing a person can do is stop feeding the spotlight.
Not denial. Not passivity. Not losing yourself.
Just mature trust.
The Center of Psalm 10: God Defends the Humble
David ends where every healthy soul must end: not in analysis, but in appeal:
“LORD, You have heard the desire of the afflicted; You will strengthen their heart; You will incline Your ear…” (Psalm 10:17)
And why?
“…to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that people who are of the earth may strike terror no more.” (Psalm 10:18)
That’s the point.
God protects the humble. God defends the vulnerable. God strengthens hearts. God sets things right.
So we don’t have to live clenched. We can live steady. We can enjoy life with God, while the King quietly does His work.
Because our real enemy loves distraction… But our real King loves relationship.
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A Suggestion for This Week
If you feel pulled toward anxiety, outrage, suspicion, or rabbit holes, try this gentle reset:
Name it: “This is stealing my attention.”
Re-center: “The LORD is King forever and ever.”
Turn outward: Pray for one vulnerable person by name.
Take one action: encourage, help, visit, give, listen, host, serve.
Psalm 10 doesn’t end in fear. It ends in protection.
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Deanna’s Journey to Healing
Ellis, Lucy, and Paul are helping with the healing process, as Deanna has five more “targeted-therapy-future-proofing” treatments to go. We’re grateful, truly grateful, for the care, the timing, and the steady mercy of God in this season.
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A Word from This Week
A flock of parrots flew over between rainstorms.
It felt like a small reminder: the sky is still God’s, even when the forecast is messy.
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Prayer Requests
Deanna’s complete healing and strength
Vulnerable friends in our circles walking through illness, grief, or instability
Our churches and leaders to stay steady, Spirit-led, and gospel-centered
Wisdom to protect the afflicted and not be distracted by fear
God’s peace to settle where conflict has lingered too long
Portugal: May the Lord prepare the way for us to see what He sees
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Prayer
King Jesus, You see what is hidden. You see trouble and grief. You see the unfortunate who are caught.
Strengthen the hearts of the afflicted. Quiet our anxious spirals. Teach us to refuse to spotlight chaos. Make us steady, humble, and courageous.
And in our homes, our churches, and our friendships, Do justice for the fatherless and the oppressed, Until fear loses its grip, And Your peace grows strong in us.
