This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

~Psalm 34:6 KJV

MY CRY

Looking into the mirror, the dark under-eye circles were evident on my thinning face. “God, hear my cry,” I prayed.

I hardly recognized the gaunt person staring back at me as I questioned how much weight I had lost. Trembling, I stumbled down the hall and collapsed onto the bed with a heaviness too intense to bear. I had traded physical weight for an emotional burden of incomprehensible magnitude.

In a short time, my failing health had cost me my career, rental home, church family, and now my engagement. I would begin the four-hour journey back to my parents’ home in the morning where I would remain for the foreseeable future. In one fell swoop, my dreams had shattered, my hope vanished, and my joy plummeted.

LESSONS FROM KING DAVID

How do we find joy in so much loss? And, how do we lie down and sleep when the future holds so much uncertainty?

I went to the only place I knew to seek comfort and reassurance: God’s Word. In anguish and tears, I whispered, “God, I need you,” as I opened up the Psalms. Then, I sensed God enter the room as I focused on Psalm 34.

King David penned this chapter after he had been forced to flee his home, relationships, and dreams because King Saul had placed a bounty on his head. David, too, was alone, staring at an uncertain future. Yet, in his time of need, he called on the Lord.

In verses four and six, David said God heard him. He also said God’s “ears are open to our cries” (v. 15) and that the Lord hears and delivers the righteous out of their troubles (v. 17).

THE EPIPHANY

Suddenly, I had an epiphany. This poor man was no longer David, but me. I cried to God from the lowest point in my life, and He heard me. But He also promised to deliver me from my troubles. God doesn’t go halfway–or almost all the way. He takes us through or out of our troubles.

God not only hears, but He also delivers. Surrender often ushers in the deliverance. Surrendering to the truth that God alone is sufficient to meet our needs frees us from the drudgery of seeking what we can’t find in this world. The things on earth that we place our hopes and dreams in only leave us unfulfilled and empty. God never does.

“In His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

                    -Psalm 16:11 KJV

STARTING OVER

My encounter did not immediately end my suffering. My health continued to decline in that season, and my engagement was not restored. But in the loss of those dreams, God gave me new dreams.

He met me to assure me He would deliver me, just not in the way my physical eyes could see. He allowed my heart to break so that He could mend it with a life far greater than I could imagine.

CRY TO HIM

Maybe your heartbreak doesn’t look like the heartbreak I endured. Perhaps you are in a season where you simply need God to assure you He hears you. Cry out to Him. He is the God who hears, delivers, and saves.

How can believing that God hears your cries help you pour your heart out to Him?

Heavenly Father, I know You are a good God. I ask You to hear my cry, deliver me from my fears, and save me from my troubles. Thank You for working all things for my good and Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2022: God, Hear My Cry: Rosann Coulon: All Rights Reserved