“This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” Psalm 34:6
Dear Ones:
Man is born with a “thought” in his heart that is centered upon himself. That thought tells him that he is his own creator and lord of his destiny. In some respects this is true. With respect his response to the call of God, he decides which way his “destiny” will take him. But, what is the RIGHT attitude of heart that God gives to man, so that his real Creator and Redeemer, works actively in him to “will and to do of His good pleasure?” It is that attitude of man, who is certain that “…He who has begun a good work in you, WILL perform it until the day of Jesus Christ?” (Phil. 2:13. 1:6) When there is the call of the heart to the God who hears that call, God will work and respond. This is the love of God, that He hears us, and answers.
In the book of Jeremiah, chapter 33, we find Jerusalem under siege by the Babylonians. Jeremiah the prophet is there in prison, a very helpless position to be in. It is in that “desolate,” and “impossible” situation, that God will tell Jeremiah: “Call unto Me, and I WILL answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” (v.3) Why does God tell Jeremiah to do this? First of all, He does so because Jeremiah has nowhere to look for hope and answers in his helplessness, but upward…upward towards the God of heaven.. Secondly, God desires to reveal to Jeremiah that which was “mighty,” that which Jeremiah “…did not know.” (v.3) In other words, God desired to do something new, not only in the heart of Jeremiah, but in the nation itself…He wanted to put HOPE in the heart, where there was desolation by virtue of His promise, and its certainty.
David, like Elijah, and like us all, was called to trust God above all else. But this is not an easy lesson to learn. So, in the case of David, we see him anointed by Samuel the prophet to be the next king of Israel. Though the Spirit of God would come upon him from that day, he was not yet ready to assume that position. What did he need to learn? He needed to learn his own helplessness, in order to trust God alone, and to prove Him. Hence, we see him in Psalm 34 communicating to us the workings of his heart, when he was in a situation where he was helpless. His only recourse was God. What does he do, surrounded by his enemies, with no answer? He prays with intensity. “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (v. 4) He also writes: “…this poor man CRIED, and the Lord heard him.” (v.4,6) God intervened in Jeremiah’s helpless situation. He also did so in the case of David. The common denominator in the lives of both of these men was the consciousness of their helplessness, and of the certainty of the Help of Heaven, the Lord Himself, if they called.
The Lord Jesus told his disciples: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33) The person who feels keenly his need, and understands the priority of God, in that we seek first His kingdom and will, is certain to know that will, and His corresponding provision of everything pertaining to that will. The Lord further declared very simply: “Seek, and you shall find.” He conditions this in the Old Testament by adding, “You shall seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13) Herein lies the secret of knowing God, seeking Him with all the heart, in order to know and do His will, believing that He is faithful to provide according to that will for His glory.
Dear Father, give us grace to simply, and whole-heartedly, to seek You, knowing that we will find You. We thank You that You are faithful and will honor Your word. By Your grace we choose to believe You this day, as we call unto You with all our hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad