Hearing His Voice #338

Hear me as I pray, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me!

Psalm 27:7

David wrote this psalm, as well as many others, under duress. Apparently he felt surrounded and besieged, yet the one thing he asked for was not deliverance. He asked to delight in God and meditate on Him in a Temple that didn’t exist yet. David was concerned about his situation, but he wasn’t obsessed with it. He kept his gaze on God.

Many of the psalms are a field manual in how to get from point A to point B in our emotional lives and in our faith. They begin with stress and end with praise. Psalm 27 is one of those psalms, and it teaches us to seek God first, even in the midst of an unresolved and desperate situation. In fact, that’s where we’re most likely to encounter God. These times when life seems overwhelming and God seems far off are often a test. Will we keep our focus on Him or on the circumstances? Which looms larger in our hearts? If we’re able to be preoccupied with Him, even when all else dictates against our faith, we will experience His presence and hear His voice.

God often shows up when we least expect Him to. That means our worst times are His best opportunities. Romans 4:18 tells us that even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—counting on God’s promise in spite of all appearances. That’s what God is looking for: those who hope against all hope, who believe regardless of what they see, who look for Him even when there are so many distractions. God rewards those who seek Him, even when contradictions to His blessings are weighing on their hearts, when the walls are closing in on their faith, or battles are raging against them. Those who desire God above all else and call to Him in times of trouble will be answered.

Lord, this has been my prayer so many times. I’m not just calling to You to get out of trouble; I’m calling to connect with You. Please be merciful and answer me.