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Listen while you read: "Thy Way Not Mine O Lord"1 (Lyrics) |
Psalm 18:6 – But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. (NLT)
She raised up on the bed, writhing in pain.
I'd watched my wife suffer with kidney stones before. Once, over the course of a week, her abdominal pain had worsened to the point that it merited a trip to the local emergency room. After a shot of morphine and a CT scan, the doctors sent her home. No explanation — but no emergency either.
Four days later, the pain had intensified. We made another trip. As pains shot through her abdomen, almost causing her to come off the bed, nurses shot her with morphine — again. Nothing helped. After changing the pain medication, she finally found some relief. Seeing her pain — and hearing my frustration — the doctor finally consented to perform another CT scan. This time, the culprit raised its ugly head: diverticulitis.
I've watched others struggle with more pain than my wife experienced. Some cry out to God, and some cry out against God. Others curse and cry. Some bite their tongues and close their eyes. The psalmist chose to cry out to God. A jealous king — and other enemies — pursued him. He needed deliverance, and David believed that God heard him.
Jesus was God's representative on earth. He said that to see Him was to see the Father. He also proclaimed that He always did the Father's will. One trait that He demonstrated consistently was His concern for others. He continually went about doing good. As people heard of His love and miracles, they hounded Him when He approached their region or they left their homes to find Him.
Though no longer here in-person and tangibly, Jesus still cares when we face distressing circumstances. There is no end to the things that can cause us pain, sorrow, frustration, and confusion. Regardless of what it is — whether large or small — Jesus wants us to cry out to Him as David did. Time is of no concern. God is up continuously. He doesn't rest or sleep. Nor is He confined by time. It's never too late to call upon Him.
How God hears the thousands who pray to Him at the same time is unexplainable and takes a leap of faith to believe. But He does, and He demonstrates that He does by answering our prayers according to His will — which is perfect.
When we're in distress, let us call on the One Who always cares and Who will always answer.
Prayer: Father, thank You for coming to us and delivering us in our moments of distress. Amen.
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Thank you.
Amen Martin.
Great reminder, Martin. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you, Martin, for this encouragement to call on Jesus in our needs.
Martin,
Thank you for reminding us to call out to God when we are in distress. He is truly the One who cares for and helps us. I needed to think and pray on this topic.
Dear Martin,
How awful to see your wife in so much pain. How wonderful that you and your wife have a God to call out to. How wonderful that the doctors found the cause of the pain this time.
How blessed we are to have people like you who write devotionals to remind us of how to build our faith and trust in the Lord. Thank you.
Hello Martin,
Sorry to hear about the pain and anguish your wife had to deal with and may the Lord’s healing hand continue upon her for comfort and peace in the days ahead. Our loving Lord is surely ever on duty to hear and respond to our prayers and guide us through so many life circumstances. Many thanks and blessings for these very encouraging and positive devotionals you submit.
Dear Martin:
Between 1990 and 2000, I had three separate episodes of kidney stones…. aka… renal colic. I learned this term since it facilitated immediate treatment at the hospital and not a painful, soul-destroying wait. Nothing can compare with the pain. Female friends have said they prefer childbirth to kidney stones.
I, fortunately, did respond to morphine and the pain was masked until the stones could pass through my personal plumbing !
I must admit that at one point I considered asking the Lord to take me home, the pain was that bad, but he didn’t and I’m here to tell the tale.
This is an excellent case in point to illustrate your thesis. Well done!
Many of us can relate to such situations.
Thank you for your efforts. Blessings are all around us.
(Ontario)
Amen! Thanks for sharing! Praying for you. Blessings.