Creator, Father, King #329

O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry! Listen when I cry to you for help!

WHAT DO YOU DO when the trials of life overwhelm you?

Do you roll up your sleeves and try to meet the trials head-on? Do you seek a distraction or a way to anesthetize the pain? Do you give into anxiety or fear? Do you isolate yourself from others?

Do you ever cry out to God?

What’s It Mean?

As we continue our eight-day study on biblically handling life’s trials, it’s imperative to understand this truth: God wants you to cry out to him in your suffering. First Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” This is a step of obedience, faith, and spiritual growth.

Scripture is filled with anguished cries to God. Besides today’s verse, here are a few examples from the book of Psalms:

• O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? (13:1-2)
• O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. (61:1-2)
• From the depths of despair, O LORD, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. (130:1-2)

God doesn’t expect you to enjoy your trial. You don’t have to put on a plastic smile and pretend to love suffering. That’s disingenuous. Some of the Bible’s godliest examples of faith amid sorrow—such as Job, Hannah, David, and Paul—beseeched God to remove their hardships. Even Jesus cried out to the Father in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44).

When you call out to God, you’re not telling him anything he doesn’t already know. He has ordained everything in your life. Your prayers are for your benefit, not his. He’s omniscient! Rather, your prayers build your faith. They help you trust God in the dark times. They help you rely on someone other than yourself.

So cry out to your heavenly Father. Call for help to the one who created you, loves you, and sent his Son to die for you. He will answer!

Now What?

Remember: when you cry out to God during hardship, never point an accusatory finger at him, as if he is somehow wronging you.

Did You Know?

Need more proof that you can cry out to God during trials? The twenty-fifth book of the Bible is called Lamentations!