April 29, 2020

Psalms 4:1

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
Have you ever felt truly alone? Where it felt that God was hundreds of miles away? Things were not going as planned, or you needed direction? I have had these moments in life. I believe if you look through the Psalms David felt the same way at times. This passage talks about what he did in these moments.
1. He believed God would hear him- “Hear me when I call”
This is the essence of what God responds to. God responds to faith. When we don’t feel God hears us but continue to go to him in prayer, we are exercising faith. We don’t live the Christian life by what we feel. We live by faith. One step of Christian growth is continuing to do right even when you don’t feel like it.
2. He remembered what God had done- “thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress;”
Distress was a military term for being boxed in. This phrase means that God broke down the barriers that hemmed him in. Have you had times that you felt boxed in and God set you free? During down times it’s great to reflect on what God has done. It’s a great idea to keep a journal of what God’s done in your life and answered prayer requests. When down times come it’s a great resource to encourage you.
3. He pleads for God’s mercy- “have mercy upon me”
He realized two things: First it’s by God’s mercy that we have life at all.
Lamentations 3:22It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Secondly, God loves to give us mercy. Psalms 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
God’s mercy and grace are the things that enable us to have a relationship with Him. When we plead for mercy, we are humbling ourselves before God. God said he will not turn away a broken and contrite heart.
When I’ve had those low moments, I’ve done these things. They didn’t stay low moments for long. My heavenly Father reached down and “gave me a hug” and let me know he was there walking with me. If you feel this way today, I encourage you to call unto him and let Him draw you close to Him.
Jacob Jarriel