Psalms 69:3, “I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.” (KJV)
Psalms 30:5: “... Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Is morning ever going to get here? How many times have you asked yourself that? Psalms 126:5 says, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Have you ever told the Lord you were ready for that joyful part at any time? I dare say most of us have probably cried out to the Lord that way more than once. The book of Psalms contains verses about the writer crying to the Lord, and God heard him. Why does it seem my prayers aren’t going past my upper lip? Have you ever been that low and asked yourself that question?
The entire book of Psalms was written from heartache and desperation. You may disagree because many of the Psalms are songs of praise. But they are praised for delivering. Even in psalms of praise, right before or in scripture associated with it, you'll find someone who had just passed through tremendous heartache or deep depression before writing the psalm. The praise came after God had proven himself again by delivering in trouble.
Some were written before the trouble ended, but in faith that God would deliver. Psalms 34:6, “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” Psalms 107:6 paints a desperate picture and tells where the Lord had brought his people from.
Wandering in the wilderness alone and homeless (4). Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them (5). Verse 6 says, “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.” It's repeated in verse 13, saying he “saved them out of their distresses.” Verse 19 repeats it. Verse 27 says they “are at their wits’ end.” Verse 28 says again, “...he bringeth them out of their distresses.” In verse 29, “He maketh the storm a calm,” and verse 30, “...he bringeth them unto their desired haven.” He saves us from trouble and distress, calms storms, and gives us rest. So why can’t I get any help and rest, we may ask?
Because when we’re crying in the dark to the Lord, we have a closeness with him you can’t reach any other way. There are times when God allows us to endure trials so that he can prove himself worthy of our trust and adoration. We can never enjoy God’s presence any other time like we do when we’re in trouble. Trouble and distress make us get serious with God. It isn’t the blessings of the Lord that draw us nearer to him, but rather the times of crisis. The times we feel all alone and like the psalmist in Psalm 142:4. “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.” That's a picture of being on the bottom.
That may be precisely where you are and how you feel. Maybe no one else knows because you put on your best smile to face the world with, but inside, you’re dying and seeking deliverance and rest with the Lord. You wonder when it’ll all end and when the sun will shine again in your world. It’ll end when God can get the most glory out of your life. When most people look at your life and wonder how you keep your faith, God will deliver. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
He still cares, sees you in your darkness, distress, and trouble, and can still deliver you.
Have you ever thought about this? Jesus saw the disciples in the middle of the sea, “toiling in rowing.” If I figured correctly, twenty to thirty furlongs is 2.5 and 3.75 miles. In the dark, in the fourth watch of the night, between three and six AM. The darkest part of the night is right before dawn. Also, there was a significant storm raging, further obscuring visibility. At that distance, in a storm, in the dark, Jesus saw them well enough to see they were struggling.
Think about that. If Jesus saw them in those circumstances, he can see you in yours. We’ve never gotten so far away that Jesus can’t see us.
Not only that, but the disciples cried out in the dark, and Jesus answered them. When they invited him on board, he calmed their storm. They still had to finish their journey, but with him present, they had nothing to fear.
We may be “toiling in rowing,” but don't worry, he’s on the way. He’ll either calm the storm or comfort us. Just keep crying out in the dark. Jesus won’t pass us by.
Prayer: Dear Father, please help me through each circumstance I face. Sometimes, I feel like I’m blinded and crying in the dark. I need to know you are near and will help and guide me through every situation.
Your turn: Do you ever feel like you are in the middle of a dark night? It could be an emotional battle, a relational challenge, addiction, grief, a self-esteem battle, and many other challenges we may be confronted with. Are you carrying around guilt? A terrible secret? No matter what, God is a God of redemption, forgiveness, and new beginnings.
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