God Hears Our Cry

“I will say to God my rock, Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the cruelty of the enemy?” (Psalms 42:9)

This is a time in David’s life when he despairs. It’s either during Saul’s persecution or Absalom’s betrayal. Both times were extremely trying in every way. He had been sought to be killed by the king whom he loved, had obediently served and to whom he had pledged allegiance. And in the other case, his very own son had taken over the kingdom causing David to flee for his life, had committed atrocities against David, against the kingdom and against God.

This was a time when David didn’t hear from God. Throughout his entire life as a shepherd caring for his father’s sheep, to obeying God in serving King Saul and when in battle, he would hear from the Lord. And the Lord made him successful in everything. “And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways. And Jehovah was with him.” (1Samuel 18:14; also see 1Samuel 17:37, 23:2; Psalms 23:1-2, 25:4,5) The ERV version states that he was “...successful in everything...” So not to hear from the Lord was devastating. He cries out “Why have You forgotten me?” He didn’t forsake God. He addressed God as his rock. God was his foundation, an immovable strong force and place of refuge. He yearned to hear God’s word, to hear His direction and to receive His comfort. And because he didn’t hear from the Lord, he felt abandoned.

I ask. Have you ever felt this way? It’s when the trouble is so immense that we feel we’re all alone with the trouble and feel there is no solution.  I’m sure you have been in this situation at some time in your life because we live in this world and it has nothing to offer us but trouble. Jesus said, “I have spoken these things to you so that you might have peace in Me. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) There is a solution. Only the Lord can help us in those times. David’s hope was in God, Whom he had depended on and trusted all his life. David wrote Psalms 18 after the Lord saved him from King Saul, “Jehovah is my strength, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock; I will trust in Him; He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. I will call on Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” (Psalms 18:2-3)  His reliance and trust on the Lord continued during his reign as king when there was conflict during his reign. His need to hear direction from the Lord was so great, he felt that he’d die if he didn’t hear from Him. “A Psalm of David. I will cry to You, O Jehovah; my Rock, do not be deaf to me, lest, if You be silent to me, I become like those who go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my prayers, when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands toward Your Holy Place. Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors, yet evil is in their hearts.” (Psalms 28:1-3)

At the end of our Scripture of study (Psalms 42:9), David asks, “Why do I go mourning because of the cruelty of the enemy?” He answers himself in the following Scriptures. “As with a sword in my bones, my enemies shame me; while they say daily to me, Where is your God? Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why do you moan within me? Hope in God; for I still praise Him, the salvation of my face, and my God.” (Psalms 42:10-11) So even if his enemies have a sword in his ribs and are shaming him, his hope is in God. So he asks his soul why is it depressed or troubled. There is hope in God Who is with him.

That is the question we must ask ourselves at the time of tribulation; “Why am I sad, in despair or troubled? Jesus, the Lord is in me and I am in Him. I have hope in Jesus, the Lord my Savior and High Priest seated at the right hand of the Father. And the Father has given Jesus all authority (John 5:22 -The Message Bible, New Living Translation, New Century Version-all other versions say judgement.) over all things even things concerning me. I am covered with the Blood of the Lamb, protected from harm. I am in the hand of God. God is a good Father to His children. He will allow not anything to come against me that will destroy me. I will be victorious in whatever the Lord allows to come against me. “But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Corinthians 15:57) I will glorify the Lord because it’s for God’s eternal purposes. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

In Jesus we live as overcomers. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1John 5:4-5)

In the moment of the trial, it hurts. It hurts emotionally and literally hurts physically. That’s because that anguish and emotional pain affect our physical bodies. David went to the Lord God. We are not abandoned. We can go to the Lord Jesus our Savior. At the time of tribulation, you may be unable to function. The thing you can do is what David did. Cry out to the Lord. You may not be able to vocalize the trouble because it’s affected your ability to think and rationalize. That is not a problem for the Lord because He hears your heart. David saw his deliverance and wrote Psalms 34. “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.” (Psalms 34:17-20) We don’t have to say a word. The Lord hears our cry when we direct it to Him. We have the promise that He will hear us and will deliver us from all our troubles. The word “all” means any and every one of them whatsoever.

Concluding, we see David’s continued trust in the Lord in spite of the troubles he experienced and in spite of the despair that came to him because of those troubles. The Lord delivered him from every one of them. And He will deliver us from anything that comes against us.

Let us pray:

Father God, You are a good Father. I thank You that I am in the palm of Your hand and that You will not allow anyone nor anything to snatch me from Your hand. I thank You that when this world sends its trouble to my door, that You are well aware of it. If I suffer a bit, it’s for Your eternal purposes. I trust You my Lord. I know that You will help me in this time. I know that You will deliver me from every evil. I know that You will not allow anything to destroy me. You my Lord have made me victorious and more than a conqueror. You’ve made me the head and not the end. I am Your child and You care for me and want the best for me. You have provided me with everything I need in every situation, spirit, soul and body. I rest in You because all things that pertain to me are in Your Hand. You know the end from the beginning. And Your will and purposes will be fulfilled in my life. I know that You will guide me and lead me in the way of righteousness. I love You Lord. In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.