He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea. (Ps. 102:17)
When was the last time you were in desperate personal need? Can you think of a time? You may have cried out to the Lord because you were overwhelmed with your financial circumstances. Maybe you had a serious medical concern. Maybe you were in a difficult spot at work and unsure about what course of action to take. It is always comforting to know that we can cry out to God, and God always hears us.
This passage promises that God not only hears us but also responds to us. And when he does, he does not respond like an annoyed parent, boss, or other authority figure, who looks down on us for needing help. No, he wants to hear our need and wants to be our constant support.
True, God does not always respond in just the way we might like. He doesn’t always solve our problem immediately or take away our pain. God doesn’t always fix things for us, because he knows that occasional pain and suffering are necessary for us to learn and grow. What God does do, though, is promise his constant presence, support, and love. We can know that we never have to be alone. God walks with us through the suffering—sometimes through the internal voice of the Holy Spirit and sometimes through the compassionate presence of a friend or loved one.
Seek God’s presence or to convey God’s presence to others.
Kevin R. Scott is a pastor and author of “ReCreatable: How God Heals the Brokenness of Life”. He lives with his family in middle Tennessee.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.