To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
Psalm 28:1-2
Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
Psalm 28:6-7
One of the great questions of our journey is the question of whether God really hears us. We have all faced times in life where we call out to God and then wonder if He is listening. We often feel disconnected from God because of our circumstances. We feel overwhelmed by the pressures of life and a doubt creeps into our mind if God really is paying attention. We feel isolated because no one seems to care or pay attention to our plight, and we are unsure if we matter to anyone. The worst is when we face the attack of people around us who are trying to demean us or mock us for any reason. These personal attacks leave us victims, questioning our own value.
Sure, we have a theological understanding that God hears everything and everyone, but a key to listening is not just hearing, but responding. He is sovereign after all and knows all things. But we are reminded in the Scriptures that there are times that God does not respond to our prayers (Ps. 68:18; 1 Peter 3:7). We often question our faithfulness when it appears that God is not responding to our pleas. That is certainly the concern of the psalmist who cries out for help and implores God not to be silent. There is an anxiety that God may not respond this time. Sometimes we interpret our circumstances as God is punishing me and that is the reason He does not answer. There are all kinds of “mind games” that go on in our head when we need God.
But the Psalmist rejoices because God has heard his cry (v.6) He celebrates that the Lord is his strength and shield. His heart trusts in him and God does help. However God does it, the Psalmist believes that God has stepped in and responded to his need and interrupted the situation that he finds himself. David recognizes that the real issue is that his enemies “do not regard the works of the Lord nor the deeds of His hands,” so the Lord will punish them.
One of the challenging, psychological struggles is how God answers our prayer. We wonder if God really hears us when our circumstances do not change. If He hears, why does He not do something? If He is doing something, why does He not do more? Understanding the ebb and flow of life and how God places His fingerprints on our journey is sometimes a deep, faith-stretching experience. We wrestle with God’s “will” and why at times He does not act according to how we interpret certain truths.
But in some fashion that is the journey. We have to struggle with our belief in God and our faith in His promises. We have to do this in the crucible of a messed up world and dysfunctional life. The answers are hazy and ambiguous. We just want God to “fix things”. But how would we celebrate, worship, and praise Him if He just fixed things. It sounds nice, and even glamorous, but the struggle in trusting God through the trials and hardships of life forge a much deeper appreciation for the God who walks with us in our journey.
Pastor Brad
