Thursday, July 25, 2013

Crying out to God

5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. 6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. –Psalm 18:5, 6 (KJV)

The other day at the grocery store, I saw something that got my attention. As I passed by the dining area, I witnessed a man sitting alone, his elbows on the table, and his face in his hands. Something in this scene spoke of sorrow and exhaustion. I kept walking by wishing I could do something for the man, but I could not say he was in distress. However, everything about his body language and posture suggested a negative situation. The reason this touched me is I know what it is like to sit with my face in my hands wondering how I will meet the challenges before me. When we find ourselves feeling defeated, worn out, exhausted, drained, and ready to give up, we might cry out to God with a prayer that sounds like this:

“Lord, I cannot do this anymore.” Have you ever prayed such a prayer? The “this” you were referring to could be problems in your family, stress at work, financial issues, health problems, or all the above. Anytime the trials of life pile up around us we may find ourselves crying out to God and seeking deliverance. Unless we seek the Lord, we run the risk of a crisis of faith. This is where we begin to doubt God’s presence and love for us. We may even begin to question God’s existence. The psalmist described his situation as being in the sorrows of hell with the snares of death encircling him. Perhaps you can relate to this level of anguish. However, rather than become bitter, blame God, or reject the Lord, the psalmist received by faith the comfort of God’s presence. 


He claimed the promise that when we call to God He will hear and respond. No pit of despair is too deep for God’s reach. Moreover, the Lord will reach down and pull us from whatever pit we may have fallen. All of us are going to face trials and difficulties of all kinds. We have no way of knowing what awaits us around the next bend in the road of life. However, take heart, for God knows and will bring us through to victory. Claim the promise of God and receive the strength and comfort the Lord provides.

I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow.

God bless you today.