“And the LORD LISTENED;…”- Psalm 34:6
{Part 3 of 5 meditations upon the verse for your encouragement and to share}
What comfort to the heart and mind of someone in distress. To know for sure, when it seems no one else has time, takes time to care and listen, the Creator of the ends of the earth, chooses to listen intently, compassionately and caringly to you. It says of David, “this poor man cried to the Lord…” God heard the cry of desperation. Indeed worshiped by myriads and myriads of the redeemed and angelic host around His Throne ,does not inhibit or “distract” Him from hearing the cry of one of His own! Remember the resurrected LORD stood when Stephen was being stoned for his identification and testimony to Him! He is not indifferent to the pain of His people. “And the LORD listened” to the cries of the Hebrews in slavery in Egypt. Their cries had arose to Him and in His time He would act to bless them and reveal Himself to them through deliverance. He would reveal Himself also to pharaoh and the nation in judgment, and surrounding nations of Who He was and is, “…The LORD!” He sees, He listens and He chooses what will be best for His sake and result in praise in eternity. “…and the LORD listened.”
Indeed He hears the cries of His people and where the heart is so broken and bruised and where as one man once shared with me over his wayward son, he could cry no more. God is good at accurately interpreting the sigh’s and cries of the brokenhearted and He needs no words to understand perfectly the cry to Him, “…And the LORD listened.” In the book of Revelation the blood of the martyrs cry out. He is not slow or indifferent but in His time He will right all wrongs for the LORD listens. Take comfort in your pain, take courage in your crying and be assured, what you have cried either verbally or even inaudibly , it can be said of you , as of David, ”…and the LORD listened” to you.
At the end of your crying out to the LORD in desperation, you can arise of your face, knees or as you walk, perhaps pacing the floor over a loved one, at the end though you may “feel” nothing, be assured of this blessed truth, you can walk away and assuredly know “…and the LORD listened,” to you as you poured out your soul!
If others ask “how are you doing…has anything happened?” You can confidently say you had an audience with and before the LORD God and you have been assured through His Word,” …And the LORD listened.”
As confident as David was in his time of trouble, so you too draw comfort and confidence from someone who has been there- David- and his words preserved by God perhaps for such a time as this for you are still true. Say them often, say the truth to yourself as you cry out to the LORD as you walk away having prayed and cried out of desperation…“and the LORD listened.” The LORD has heard your cry. He is familiar with you and the trouble you have cried out to Him concerning. The LORD is on the case. Take comfort storm tossed and restless heart. Listen to what God says to you, “… and the LORD listened.” If He be for you who can be against you? It is in His hands now, rest in Him.
The word “LORD” though used by many of us, can be used flippantly in such a way that no thought is giving to some of its meaning, or the Majesty of the One who is LORD.
- 1. -It is used in Exodus 3:15 to reveal the LORD as the Independent One, Self-Existent, in need of nothing or no one outside of Himself. The Eternal “I Am.”
- 2. – In Deut 7:9 is used of the LORD as the Covenant Keeping One. He who promises and has the power to exercise the fulfillment of each promise He makes.
- 3. – In Malachi 3:6 it is used of the LORD as the Unchanging One. He is consistently the same. Immutable. No change. Always the same.
- 4. – In Isaiah 46 the LORD is revealed as the Sovereign One. The last five letters of Sovereign- reign… speaks to the meaning, He REIGNS. He is in control. There is no cosmic battle, of a sea -saw struggle between Him and satan or the powers that be. He is God – He reigns over all!
- 5. – In Gen 24:14 – we see the LORD is Revealed as Jehovah Jireh. The LORD the Provider- He has pre-vision and makes Provision. -“So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” The mountain of praise – worship –thanksgiving
- 6. – Exalted One– who is High and Lifted up- Worshiped and Adored- Isaiah 6:1-6…. And it was Jesus whom Isaiah saw and in Phil 2- it is the LORD Jesus TO WHOM EVERY KNEE shall bow and tongue confess that He is LORD to the glory of God.
- 7. -In Gen 2:4 the LORD is revealed as GOD!
It is to this One- The Self-Existent, Covenant Keeping, Unchanging, Sovereign LORD, the Provider, who is Exalted, who is GOD, that David calls out to in desperation. He Knew in whom He believed in.
And the LORD delivered him, rescued him, saved him out of all his fears and all of his troubles. Think on that!
The LORD did not save him FROM fears or FROM troubles but OUT OF…ALL His troubles…
Consider the hope from God’s word to your heart this moment as regards your cries to Him…They have come before Him and He has not been “too busy,” indifferent, but your words have reached Him and the Scripture want to assure and comfort you with these words, precious words, to those in fear and in troubles… “…and The LORD LISTENED.”
LIES, LIES, LIES,and if you hear the lie to your mind,”your prayers don’t go higher than the ceiling, or what’s the point in praying,” and “thoughts” leading to “feelings” to doubt God, which lead you to discouragement, know who the author of such thoughts and “fiery darts” are, and remind yourself and take comfort and courage from this Scripture, “ … and the LORD listened.” When you cried out to Him, Be assured, He heard you and He listened!
Assignment;
1. – Continue to Memorize Psalm 34:6… Meditate on the LORD and the fact He LISTENS to you…{WRITE the verse out begin to MEDITATE on each phrase…commit to memory in order to pray it , be encouraged from it and to be used by the Holy Spirit to serve OTHERS!}
2. -Praise and Thank Him and Pray to Him who Listens
3. – SHARE this truth with others