Psalm 34:17-19 GW “Righteous people cry out. The Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to those whose hearts are humble. He saves those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person has many troubles, but the Lord rescues him from all of them.”

We were never promised a life free of trouble but we were promised a deliverer. It’s so clear in this verse that we are to cry out, that God expects us to.  He didn’t say whine and complain and I’ll hear you, grumble and I’ll listen. No he said to cry out. HELP LORD! Don’t try to fix it yourself; cry out. Don’t sit and worry, fretting over this and that; cry out! Then what? He hears and rescues us from ALL our troubles. What a great promise of rescue.

Somehow when the door was opened the other night, a very large lizard got in and crawled onto the ceiling. I cried out to Walt for help and he grabbed the fly swatter. Yuck! Even when I cry out at home about something as small as a lizard, my Wallyman hears me and comes to my rescue. He’s had to do that a lot lately. I know they’re helpful in keeping bugs down, but they don’t belong in my house with me. 

God cares about the little things and the big things. He cares when you have a bill past due and no way to pay it. He cares when you sit alone in a doctors office waiting for the report on your MRI. He’s always near, always listening, ready to deliver if we’ll just place our trust in him. He who made the earth, set the stars in place, set boundaries for the oceans and filled them with every creature. He who created us, every intricate detail of us and promised us long life. Is not his Word far greater than any other word on the face of the earth? Will he not keep his promise and rescue us? 

Psalm 42:5 ESV says: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.”  Even David talked to himself, reminding himself of the promises of God. How many times did God come through for him? How many times did God deliver David, yet he still had to remind himself to praise the God of his salvation. We can’t be encouraging to those around us when we’re focused on ourselves. Trust in God! Thank him for his faithfulness, his provision, get joyful. Clap your hands, dance the dance of freedom for we have been redeemed from the curse and the God of angel armies watches over us.