Tag: cry out to the Lord

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Tears On Your Pillow?

O LORD, rebuke me not in thy anger, nor chasten me in thy wrath.

2 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

Psalm 6:1-2

Have you ever hurt so bad in your spirit that your whole being ached? It is one thing to hurt because of our own sinfulness as we endure the ugly consequences of our disobedience to God. But, it is another to hurt at the hands of others. To feel oppressed and terrorized is indeed a most fearful state, and to feel as such is common to all humanity at some time or other in life. However, it is precisely then the people of God have a refuge unlike any other in the world. Proverbs 18 says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”

In Psalm 6, David cries out to God with the oldest prayer of God’s people – “Lord have mercy”. It seems his soul is burdened, though we are not sure just why. Perhaps because of his own sinfulness, yet he doesn’t confess his sin in this particular Psalm. However, he does confess to the Lord his weariness. His soul aches from all his troubles to the point where he can feel it in his bones (v 2,3). This Psalm is numbered among the so called, 7 Penitential Psalms (6,32,38,51,102,130,143) which offer contrition and lamentation along with a remembrance of God’s mercy and faithfulness, and a plea for forgiveness.

Are you hurting so bad you can’t even find the words for you pain? Or perhaps you’ve hurt so long, that you are now numb to the pain. Staying humble before God and crying out to him in the night is critical to not getting lost in despair. God’s people must never despair of hope. Though there may be darkness all around us, we must remind ourselves that “joy comes in the morning” (Ps 30). There is always hope for God’s people.

Even as David lamented to God of his pain, so too we can hear the cries of Jesus to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. They both knew the Lord heard their prayers (v 8,9). They both knew He would give them them strength to face another day. You can too. If your life is filled with tears on your pillow, lift your eyes to the Lord. His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

image credit: https://whisper.sh/whisper/0512b755a064d14433457457049c9b91b1f078/I-can-hear-your-heart-crying-out-for-me

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No Evil Formed Against You

But thou, O LORD, art a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

Psalm 3:4

Some days it’s hard to lift up our heads, isn’t it? The world seems to beat us up such that we feel we can’t go on – but we can! We can go on because the Lord is the one who lifts our head. He is the one who becomes our shield so that none of Satan’s flaming arrows hit their mark. The Lord does all this and more, but He doesn’t do it against our will; it remains for us to call upon the name of the Lord. And, the moment we do, all the powers of Heaven lift us up, shield us from the evil one and give us the glorious victory in Jesus.

In Psalm 3 we read how King David was having one of those days when he couldn’t go on. He was troubled by the amount of evil that was formed against him (vs.1-3. David’s own son, Absalom was trying to kill him). Yet, as he laments the attempts upon his soul, he is reminded he has a protector. David knows that God will defend him against all evil, because he trusts in God’s faithfulness. Notice in verse 6 how David didn’t let his fears paralyze him. He laid down and went to sleep knowing the Lord would be with him.

Although the Psalm was written by David, it is written prophetically of Jesus. We can hear Christ in his humanity crying out to the Father (vs. 5) in His most difficult moments, knowing the leaders of the people were seeking to kill him. In verse 9 we can hear His affirmation – “Salvation is of the Lord. And Your blessing is upon your people”.

What are you going through right now? Are these difficult times for you personally as you struggle to understand things that are happening to you or to those close to you? If so, read Psalm 3 as a prayer of confidence as you cry out to the Lord. He will hear you. He is the one who lifts your head. Then tonight, lay down your head on your pillow and know… no evil formed against you will stand.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

image credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/8444318026524191/