“How Long, Lord?”
Hi Friends,
It's been a little while since I've sat down to write, and I've genuinely missed spending this time with you.
Over the next few weeks, I have so much I'd like to share. Life has been full of transitions, making precious memories with my family, settling into new rhythms, and spending quiet moments reflecting with the Lord.
But if I'm being completely honest, I've also intentionally stepped back.
With everything happening in our world, I found myself needing to guard my heart, my mind, and my emotional well-being by staying rooted in God's Word. If today's blog gives you any indication... whew... it's been a lot.
The constant stream of heartbreaking headlines, division, and injustice can become emotionally draining if we're not careful. I know myself well enough to recognize when I need to pause. My mind has a tendency to keep processing, analyzing, and thinking long after the day is over. Sometimes it just goes... and goes... and goes.
So instead of allowing everything around me to consume my thoughts, I chose to be still. I chose to spend more time listening than reacting. More time praying than worrying. More time in Scripture than in the endless cycle of news.
And this morning, as I opened my Bible to Psalm 94, it felt as though God met me right where I was.
Over the past several days, I had been hearing about the deaths of an older father, a young father who died while in ICE custody, and another young man whose life ended under mysterious circumstances after spending time with a group of friends on a boat in Mississippi. Each story was different, yet each represented another family grieving a tremendous loss.
By the time I opened my Bible, my heart was simply heavy.
Once again, I found myself wrestling with a question that has echoed through the hearts of God's people for generations:
"How Long, Lord?"
As I continued reading, I realized I wasn't the first person to ask that question.
"Lord, God of vengeance—God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, Judge of the earth; repay the proud what they deserve. How long, Lord, will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?"
— Psalm 94:1–3
Those words felt as though they had been written for mornings exactly like this.
When Our Hearts Cry Out…How long will injustice continue?
How long will corruption seem to go unchecked?
How long will innocent people continue to lose their lives while grieving families are left searching for answers?
These are not questions born from unbelief.
They are questions born from faith—faith that believes God sees what we see and far more than we ever could.
Psalm 94 reminds us that God is neither blind nor indifferent.
"Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?"
— Psalm 94:9
God sees every act of injustice.
He hears every cry of a grieving family.
He knows every abuse of power.
Nothing escapes His attention.
As I continued reading, verses 19–21 captured my attention.
"When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Can wicked rulers be allied with you—those who frame injustice by statute? They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death."
— Psalm 94:19–21
I found myself lingering over one question:
"Can wicked rulers be allied with You?"
How often throughout history have leaders claimed God's blessing while permitting—or even participating in—injustice?
The psalmist's question reminds us that God's name cannot be used to justify what God Himself condemns.
God is never an ally of injustice.
No government.
No leader.
No institution.
No person can invoke God's name while violating His heart for justice and righteousness.
That truth encouraged me.
Not because it erased my sadness, but because it reminded me that appearances are not reality. Those who wield power may believe they have heaven's approval, but Psalm 94 makes it clear that God does not stand with those who "frame injustice by statute" or "condemn the innocent to death."
God's Justice Is Never Absent
One of the greatest temptations when evil seems to prevail is believing that God has forgotten.
Psalm 94 reminds us otherwise.
God's silence is not His approval.
His patience is not His absence.
His justice may not arrive on my timetable, but it will arrive.
The psalm closes with these sobering words:
"He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them."
— Psalm 94:23
I don't rejoice at the thought of anyone's judgment.
Instead, I find peace knowing that God is perfectly just. Every hidden deed is known to Him. Every abuse of authority is seen. Every innocent life matters to Him.
I continue to believe that every act of injustice committed under the illusion of power or righteousness will ultimately be answered by God. No one escapes His perfect justice. Those who imagine that He endorses oppression or turns a blind eye to innocent blood have misunderstood His character completely.
My Prayer Today
As I closed my Bible this morning, I realized that my questions hadn't disappeared.
But my hope had grown stronger.
I still ask,
"How long, Lord?"
Yet I also believe that the God who sees all will one day make all things right.
Until then...
I will continue to pray.
I will continue to seek justice.
I will continue to mourn with those who mourn.
I will continue to guard my heart from becoming bitter.
And I will continue to trust that the Judge of all the earth will do what is right.
Because evil may seem to have the loudest voice today...
But it will never have the final word.
"For the Lord will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance."
— Psalm 94:14
A Final Thought
One of the things I love most about Scripture is that God never asks us to pretend.
He doesn't ask us to ignore injustice.
He doesn't ask us to suppress our grief.
He doesn't rebuke us for asking, "How long?"
Instead, He invites us to bring every question, every burden, every tear, and every anxious thought to Him.
Psalm 94 reminded me that lament is not the opposite of faith.
Sometimes, lament is faith.
It is trusting God enough to bring Him the hardest questions while believing He is still righteous, still sovereign, and still good.
So today, if your heart is heavy too...
Keep asking.
Keep praying.
Keep trusting.
Because the Judge of all the earth still sees.
And He will have the final word.
Grace & Peace,
Mama Wisdom 🌿
