Crying Out and Up

"Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles. My enemies shout at me, making loud and wicked threats. They bring me trouble on me and angrily hunt me down. My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can't stop shaking. Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness."

~Psalm 55:1-7

David was such a complex person. He did a lot of good and a lot of bad in his life, yet no matter what he was called "A man after God's own heart". He was loved by God - unconditionally. God's love never waivered. David was a musician. If you are a musician also, you will know that we are a different breed of people. We tend to operate on the creative side of our brain. We tend to be more emotional and sensitive. (This is not a blanket statement. Not every musician or creative person is sensitive and emotional) Generally, a musician goes by the beat of his own drum and some musicians would define themselves as having a "free spirit".

I can identify with David on so many levels. When I read through the Psalms, I can empathize with the feelings that David so openly and honestly conveyed. He was "REAL". It is hard to come across people who are willing to be brutally honest and real with what they are feeling or what they are going through. Sometimes the fear of what other people will think hinders a person from truly showing who they really are. That is when the facade starts. That is when the pretending begins. The healing process doesn't begin until the mask of denial is unveiled and destroyed.

"Everything is falling apart;" ~Psalm 55:11a

Have you ever lost your hope? Have you ever just sat down in the middle of your crisis and given up? Have you ever felt like everything is falling apart?

Welcome to life, my friend. Goodness, life is so difficult sometimes. We live in a society that promotes the comforts of convenience, instant gratification, and multiple ways to numb or mask any type of pain we may be feeling. We almost feel entitled to a stress-free life and when it isn't stress-free, well...we panic. The fact is, God never once told us that our lives would be stress-free or easy. What God did tell us is that He is our Everything, our Healer, our Comfort, our Instant Gratification, our Restorer, our Uplifter, our Rock, our Fortress, our Shield, our Father; He is to be the One and only One.

If you haven't ever read through Psalm 18, I really encourage you to do it. It is one of my favorite passages of Scripture because it exemplifies God's love as our Father and to what lengths He will go to in order to protect us. It is a passage of ACTION.

First off, David begins the chapter acknowledging everything that God is:

" I love you, O Lord, my strength.

2  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3  I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,

and I am saved from my enemies."

David then begins to express the anguish and fear that he is experiencing. He is being REAL. He is scared, afraid for his life, and feeling as if he will be overwhelmed by his enemies...mentioning "the cords of death", "the torrents of destruction", "the snares of death"...these are all his fears that he is expressing freely and openly. No masks. Just real.

Then David does the most important thing he could do...

"In my distress I called upon the Lord;

to my God I cried for help."

What happens next gives me the chills EVERY SINGLE TIME I read this passage of Scripture. I become overwhelmed with how much God loves us...to what lengths He will go to protect the very ones He has formed and created in His image.

"From his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry to him reached his ears."

Ok, this part of the verse alone is mind-blowing in itself. God hears our voice from His temple...God's ears hear our cry...He knows the very sound of our voice! Wow! And once He hears our cry, He goes into action. Watch what happens next,

"Then the earth reeled and rocked;

the foundations also of the mountains trembled

and quaked, because he was angry.

8  Smoke went up from his nostrils,

and devouring fire from his mouth;

glowing coals flamed forth from him.

9  He bowed the heavens and came down;

thick darkness was under his feet.

10  He rode on a cherub and flew;

he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.

11  He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,

thick clouds dark with water.

12  Out of the brightness before him

hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

13  The Lord also thundered in the heavens,

and the Most High uttered his voice,

hailstones and coals of fire.

14  And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;

he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.

15  Then the channels of the sea were seen,

and the foundations of the world were laid bare

at your rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils."

WOW! God is a Mighty God! He is the God of action. He loves us so much that He would go to those lengths just to rescue us out of the mire; the sinking sand. It absolutely blows me away! And as a result of God's mighty acts,

"He sent from on high, he took me;

he drew me out of many waters.

17  He rescued me from my strong enemy

and from those who hated me,

for they were too mighty for me.

18  They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

but the Lord was my support.

19  He brought me out into a broad place;

he rescued me, because he delighted in me."

Psalm 18:1-19 ESV

There is so much more from this chapter left to share, but I will save it for another time. I just want to emphasize to those who may be hurting or completely overwhelmed today that God does hear you. He hears your very voice; the sound of your cries; the urgency of your pain. He wants to rescue you today and show you His love for you. All it takes is action. Call unto God and ask Him for help. Watch what God can do.