A friend of mine is going through a very challenging time at home and at work. It seems the enemy is attacking him from all angles. Having lived through a similar situation which is fresh on my mind, I am acutely aware of my friend’s mental and emotional state. The hurt and worry show in his eyes and voice, his confidence is waning, and he appears to have lost some weight and has lost that “spring in his step”.
The positive thing that my friend may not see yet is that he appears to be drawing nearer to God than he ever has before. He is growing spiritually, his faith is increasing, and his dependency on himself is lessening. His wounds will someday be used to help someone else.
My friend asked me this week for some advice as to how I dealt with the situation and my memory flashed to the times when I was at my lowest of low. In those times it felt like I had nothing left, bringing me to tears and to my knees in prayer. All I could do was cry out. Thinking back on it now I realize that I resisted crying out mainly due to pride. I was my own god until I surrendered all to the one who waited patiently for this reckless soul.
17 For I cried out to him for help,
praising him as I spoke.
18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened. (Psalm 66:17-18)
Today I challenge you to humble yourself on your knees and cry out. Say his name out loud: Jesus, Father, God, the Great I AM. In parallel, praise God and confess your sin (like the psalmist). Even if you’re not in deep sorrow, you surely know someone who is hurting (emotionally or physically) or lost without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
In my crying out I begged for rescue, mercy, and peace and also acknowledged where I had gone wrong. As a result, I felt peace beyond understanding, and recalled the quote from Rick Warren “You never know God is all you need until God is all you have.”
The psalm goes on to assure us that God does listen and pay attention to our prayers. Praise him for this! He loves you more than you know, and he is nearer than we realize.
19 But God did listen!
He paid attention to my prayer.
20 Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
or withdraw his unfailing love from me. (Psalm 66:19-20)
Today’s reading: 2 Chronicles 28; 2 Kings 17; Psalm 66; 1 Corinthians 7