Does God Hear Me?

when i am in trouble…

'In panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the Lord !” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help. Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant. So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! Praise the Lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack.' Psalms 31:21-24

not sure how if i’m alone in this; earlier in my life and when i had come to know The Lord, i did call out to Him because things weren’t always going good in my life. sometimes it was out of selfish desire that because i didn’t get what i wanted, i figured He doesn’t love or care about me. other times i was doing bad stuff and was about to get in big trouble and wondered where was He - why didn’t He save me from the mess i was in.

the answer is clear: “He harshly punishes the arrogant” - i thought i could get away with what i was doing or that i felt i deserved this or that. each of those events - caught selling drugs; pending divorce due to abuse (drugs, neglect of family, verbal and physical); losing myself, etc. all helped me to realize how far away i was in my relationship with Jesus. how could i expect to feel His love and return it to Him and those in my life when i was so self-centered.

through all that happened to me, God did hear my voice and i was kept safe (rehab vs incarceration); showed me His unconditional love (kept my family together and allowed us to reconcile) while allowing me to go through the steps of recovery; protected me (friends had passed or lost it mentally/physically/spiritually/emotionally).

need to really believe and trust that God does hear us, knows what is best for us, wants us to be set free, and to soak up His love. in return, we need to love Him back and place our hope entirely in Jesus, Our Lord, Our Savior. safety is only found in Him.

dear Heavenly Father, i thank you that you do hear us even if we are unsure. have your way in our lives Lord Jesus, that we would place our hope and trust in you. thank you for being my sanctuary, my safe place. i run and hide under your protective arms. i love you Lord, and thank you for showing me what love is. in your Holy and Precious name i pray, amen!