March 12, 2020
He Heard Me
Arlene Pellicane
Today’s Truth
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles (Proverbs 34:4-6, NIV).
Friend to Friend
When my children were younger, there was one word that shook the house on a regular basis: MOMMMMY!!!! Wherever I was in the house, their cries would reach my ears. I’d usually respond right away, but sometimes their shouts would be met by silence. Maybe I was in the bathroom or on a phone call. They’d call out again, this time a little more desperate, and eventually they would hear my voice in reply.
Have you ever felt that way with God? Like you have cried out to Him and you are waiting for a reply? David assures us in Psalm 34 that God does indeed hear us, and not only does He hear, He delivers and saves! David writes these words of confidence and consolation while he is in terrible circumstances, somewhat of his own making. Living on the run from King Saul who is trying to kill him, David enters the land of the Philistines. He hatches a plan to save his skin. He pretends to be insane and crazy before the king. He figured it would be better to be perceived as disgusting and delusional than dangerous.
In this lonely and dark period of life, David could’ve said, “Forget you God because you’ve clearly forgotten me.” But that’s not his heart. He blesses the Lord and exalts His name, writing the words in today’s truth, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.”
Look at the way God responds. When we seek, He answers. When we call, He hears us. When we put our hope in Him, our faces are never covered in shame.
Psalm 102:17 (NIV) reiterates, “He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.” Unlike me with my children, God is always available 24/7 to your cry for help.
Psalm 121 (verses 3-4) teaches us that God who watches over us will not slumber, indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. And I think it’s pretty safe to say, He is not occupied on social media either.
God is not too busy for you. God is not annoyed by your requests. He welcomes conversation with us. His nature is to rescue.
You know, my children are older now. My high schooler doesn’t call out MOMMMMY anymore. He has outgrown needing me for things like tying shoelaces, packing lunches, doing homework, or practicing the piano. But you know what, no matter what our age, we never outgrow our need to cry out to God. We don’t reach a certain age or stage and think, “Okay, I’m good. I’ve got it all figured out.”
No, we all need Jesus to surround us and deliver us from our fears. So go ahead, call out DADDDDY and I promise, He will hear you and come running.
Let’s Pray
Dear Jesus, I will bless Your name at all times. Your praise shall continually be in my mouth. Thank You for hearing me and answering me. Thank You for saving me out of all my troubles. I know those who seek God shall not lack any good thing. Teach me Your ways and deliver me from evil today.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
When was the last time you cried out to God for help? What was it about?
Think of a past answer to prayer. Take time to thank God for hearing you and delivering you out of your fears.
More from the Girlfriends
Maybe you are in the MOMMMMY phase of life with your kids and you are the one who needs some help! Arlene’s book 31 Days to Becoming a Happy Mom will help you re-discover the joy of motherhood and give you needed encouragement through the daily demands of raising children.
Originally published Thursday, 12 March 2020.