Listen for His voice even before you see His hand! He’s promised to rescue you.

Ever felt like God was holding your prayers at arm’s length? Like He wasn’t really paying attention or (horror of horrors!) that He has no inclination to answer your prayers for help?

Are you alone in these questions? No… the Psalmist was there long before we were.

• Psalm 6:2,3 “Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me? 
• Psalm 10:1O “Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?”
• Psalm 11:1 “So why do you say to me, “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!”
• Psalm 13:1 Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?
• Psalm 22:1”My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?”

How do we grow in faith during those times? Often we feel left by the side of the road and longing for God’s approach with the answer. I want stronger faith, not faltering faith. What’s going on during God’s apparent silences?

I’m sensing something more important happening in me than having my request answered. I am “waiting (pretty) patiently for the Lord to help me.” Psalm 40:1 David was confident that God had turned to him and had already heard his cry and the answer would come!

And in Psalm 130:1-5, from the ‘depths of despair’ he called for God’s help, and again with confidence declared “I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in His Word.” And by the way… here’s the outcome of each of his five ‘where-are-You?’ concerns at the top. They are found at the end of each of the chapters:

Psalm 6:9 “The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer.”

Psalm 10:17 “Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.”

Psalm 11:4 “But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven.”

Psalm 13:5 “But I trust in your unfailing love.”

Psalm 22:24 “For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.”

So, hang onto every promise God’s made and build your faith and confidence in every Word to you that you find!