Week of September 3

The psalmist writes, “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles” (Psalm 34:7). The wonder of this offer is that we too often see it only as a last resort. I had a dear friend who offered me a place of retreat, time and time again, which I continued politely to decline to accept. It is not that I did not want to go. I simply “could not find the time.”
 
I will never forget the time I finally agreed to go there. Life had become terribly stressful, and I was weary beyond even my own understanding. Well, I was picked up at the airport, driven to the “retreat,” and literally overwhelmed that it was a spacious family home where I experienced the fullness of God’s shalom. God has more than enough peace to share with your heart today, so let’s accept His invitation to receive it in our focal psalm.

Our psalm is almost identical to Psalm 40:13-17, and it represents a lament by a person who feels persecuted and oppressed (Handbook). The psalm takes off quickly and with great intensity! The writer is being threatened by his enemies (v. 3; 40:15, “Aha! Aha!”). You may wonder, “How so?”

The words in these passages occur elsewhere in Psalms and the meaning is to lay in wait with the intent to destroy a person’s life (35:13). The situation looks bleak in our passage because these enemies seek to snatch away his life or kill him (v. 2; cf. 40:14). Notice to whom the psalmist appeals.
 
He cries out to God for some relief from this situation and requests that those who seek to destroy him will ultimately be defeated and dishonored (v. 2; 40:14). These passages remind us that each generation has its “villains.” We know that previous generations very often had to seek some escape from harassment for following God. In this day, with the advent of social media, we and our children are sometimes placed in the all-day-everyday-crosshairs of hatred.

The psalmist also knows that such bullies come and go; however, God remains steadfast and able to deliver the helpless. The poet asks for God to defeat the ones who are making fun of him and to “cause them to have burning faces” (Handbook). He wants them to be clothed in their shame!
 
Rather than pour out heated hatred on his foes, the hymn writer cries out with a humble heart to the Lord! We have learned an important lesson here in where to expend our energies when we face troubles. Our focal verse offers us a simple way to cry out to God. He will hear and respond. We may, in fact, pen this prayer into the back of our Bibles or place it on our mobile devices where we may have ready access to it in our time of need!

First, the words “poor and needy” translate from two synonyms. They mean “poor,” “weak,” “helpless.” Well, there go the brand T-shirts that we enjoy wearing: “Just Do It,” “Impossible is Nothing,” and “I will.” One translator sums up the human reality for all of us; namely, “I am a have-nothing man” (Handbook). This self-awareness enables us to approach God with complete transparency (cf. Matthew 5:3).
 
Secondly, we plead with God to take thought of us, or “show us concern” (cf. “hasten to me”). I have often cried out to God, “Get here quickly!” Feel free to do the same.
 
Thirdly, call Him by name and pray, “You are my Savior (i.e., “help”). Acknowledge Him in all your ways means that we will call upon Him even when we are not in distress (Proverbs 3:5-6, our Pathway Devotional theme verses).

The United States did not have a universal emergency call number prior to the 1960s. Callers had to know their various local emergency response numbers for police and fire rescue. This was confusing because large cities had multiple police and fire departments covering different areas.
 
The National Fire Chiefs Association suggested a national emergency number in 1957, but it was not until 1967 that President Lyndon Johnson set things in motion to create such a number. The Federal Communication Commission partnered with the telephone service provider AT&T and the number 9-1-1 was proposed in 1968.
 
The number was easy to dial on the old rotary phones and short enough to remember easily. Congress passed legislation and the rest is history! By the way, it took nearly 20 years for 93% of the country to have access to 9-1-1 services. God, on the other hand, has been universally available for our crises since creation. His call number is prayer.
 
The invitation to cast our cares upon the Lord. Our psalm is a call to God in a desperate moment and, for many of us, it cannot come at a more opportune time! Our brothers and sisters in Niger have recently been thrown into the cauldron of a military coup, severe economic distress, and social upheaval. Likewise, our Christian family in Ukraine is challenged by ongoing conflict with Russia. We, here in America, are living in a time of great social and economic upheaval. “God help us,” should be our global cry. This shout of need signals our moral awareness that we are frail and finite, and that we need the help of the one true God who is all-powerful and caring.

1. I invite you to write down your heart cry and pray it aloud to God. God cares. Weave the elements of verse five into that prayer.
 
2. Now, having prayed the prayer, zero in on the God who delivers you. Do not run from Him but cling to Him even when heaven appears to be silent. Your reach to Him through prayer touches the eternal. He will refresh you and give you a retreat (Psalm 23; esp. verse 6b).
 
3. For Families: Every six months or so, we encourage Moms and Dads to take their kids, one by one, for an ice cream treat, or on a date, and spend some time visiting about their child’s heart. Pay particular attention to whether your son or daughter is okay down deep. Do they have any fears? Are they afraid to go to sleep at night? Are they worried about something?

At the Baptist Center, we hosted a children’s ministry day last Saturday. During our Bible session, a small boy of about seven years told us very solemnly that he was afraid to go to sleep at nights. He feared bedtime, felt abandoned and alone when it was time to sleep.
If your child has any fear, or is being bullied, or feels anxious, it can be a petrifying phase for them. Listen well, and then pray over them, asking God to give them peace in the Name of Jesus. Then share this verse with them, and help them to memorize it. They can call on God at any time!

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock