O Lord, why do You remain far away and hide Yourself in times of trouble?
The psalmist sincerely expresses the pain of God’s seeming distance. He does not insist that the Lord has truly abandoned His people, but describes the heavy feeling that is born when help is delayed and evil continues to act. The question “Why?” here is not a word of unbelief, but a prayer born of pain, directed to God Himself. In a time of distress, it may seem to a person that the Lord has gone far away or has hidden His face. The psalm teaches not to silence that feeling, but to bring it honestly before God. A believer may ask, express pain, and at the same time continue to trust in Him. God’s silence is not indifference, and His seeming delay is not forgetfulness. He sees what a person does not see, and He acts in His own time. This verse comforts those who at times do not feel God’s nearness, reminding them that prayer that continues even in silence is itself a sign of faith.