Psalm 4
Evening Prayer of Trust in God.
For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress;
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
"Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!..."
It seems so....well, expectant, doesn't it? Maybe it's the "Mom voice" in my head that makes it sound so stern, but reading it and hearing it that way stopped me and made think about that very idea. It *is* expectant...it *is* desperate...and it is exactly how many of us have felt at times. We cry out and wonder if He even hears us. We pray because we know we can't get through it on our own and we feel like we need to say it so He knows just how desperately we need Him and His strength.
I re-read that first sentence with the entire verse and couldn't help but think that sometimes we use the "Mom voice" and we're so overwhelmed and think we're walking through it alone that we get stern and say it like, "*ANSWER ME* when I call...O God of my RIGHTEOUSNESS!!!" (are You there? YOU know I'm innocent! ANSWER!!)
Other times it's more defeated and hopeful. Much like an exhausted Mom or Dad who is at the end of one of "those" days with the kids and we wonder if what we're doing makes any difference whatsoever. It sounds like this (inserts mine, obviously), "*sigh* annnnsweerrrr me when I call. Ohhhhhhhhh, Lord of my righteousness *sigh* " (I really have to ask You to answer me? You declare me innocent and know the number of hairs on my head...You're going to answer, right?)
Maybe it's more desperate. In the midst of the news, the school involvements, the sports and the politics, the church duties and ministries, we cry out to the One Person we know truly knows us..."Answer me when I call, O GOD OF MY RIGHTEOUSNESS!" (There's so much...people defile my name when they don't know who I really am, but YOU...YOU know me and declare me righteous. Answer me....please answer me.)
Whichever one it is doesn't really matter.But the rest of the verse brings it all to the thing that does. "You have relieved me in my distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer." Isn't it beautiful? Saying, "You've been faithful to me and relieved this stress before. Do it again, God. Realize my love for You ~ my faithfulness in knowing You are who You say You are ~ and hear my heart cry out to You in the midst of all." We don't have to convince Him to hear us. He does already. But to be so transparent and personal with the very God who intimately holds us together is simply beautiful.
What are you wanting Him to hear today? What is it that you desperately, or exhaustingly, need Him to carry you through? He will...and He's listening...cry out.
