Crying Out to God

READ: PSALMS 55:16-18; 57:1-11

I’ve had days when I’ve cried out to God again and again because I cannot face all that is going on in my life without Him. It takes humility to admit that I need Him to get through my life, and that I especially need Him to step in when things aren’t going well.

I have had days when I’m at my computer, and I close my eyes and cry out to God. On those same days, I might get down on the floor and shed tears, or pray to God while I wash the dishes. I am acutely aware of my deep need for God when I am struggling, and I reach out to Him for help.

In Psalm 55, we read that David also had those kinds of days. In verse 17, he mentions crying out to God in the morning, at evening, and at noon. He had days when he needed to constantly bring his distress to God.

In this psalm, David describes not only how he cried out to God when facing difficult times but also how God rescued him. I have had that happen in my own life. Not only have I felt the presence of God when I’ve been struggling, but I have also seen Him take care of my problems so that I no longer have to deal with them.

It’s good news that we can cry to God over and over again. We can cry out for help as we eat our lunch, or when the pain is too much, and we reach noon without an appetite. We can ask for God’s help in the evening and all throughout the night when sleep won’t come. Just as David did, we can go to God again and again and know that He hears us. • Emily Acker

• As Christians, we can be sure that God is with us all throughout the day and night because Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23). He died and rose again to bring us near to God. He always wants us to cry out to Him, and He can truly empathize with our struggles because He knows what it’s like to be human (Hebrews 4:14-16). Can you think of a time when something bad happened in your life or in the world around you, and you turned to God to seek His help? What was that like?

• The more we choose to turn to God in our distress, the more it becomes second nature, something we do without thinking. And God never gets tired of hearing from us! Consider taking some time to tell God about whatever has been weighing on you lately.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. Psalm 57:2 (NLT)