When Everything Goes Wrong

17)When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18( The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:17-18


Have you ever felt like nothing in your world was going right? When my kids were growing up, I used to read them one of their favorite books, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. You might be familiar with this story about a boy who experiences the absolute worst day of his life. We all have experienced troubles and know the feeling of having a "crushed spirit."

When circumstances are difficult, all too often this affects our attitude towards God and can also inhibit our worship. After all, why should we worship when it seems like life is falling apart at the seams?

The Psalmist gives us three profound reasons why we can worship the LORD even in the midst of the deepest valleys.

We can worship because He hears us. This does not mean He merely hears our cry, but this word implies action. God is so unlike us; when He hears, He acts. And He acts immediately! He does not sit idly by, but intervenes in even the most desperate situation.

We can worship in the midst of trials because we know the Lord promises to deliver us. Keep in mind, this word deliver does not mean that He will remove us from our difficulty. Isn’t it true that at times we cry out to the Lord but it seems as though our situation doesn’t change? Do not mistake unchanging circumstances for God’s lack of deliverance. His promise to deliver us is made evident in the way He sustains believers even through the hardest times.


Finally, when everything goes wrong, we can worship Him because the Lord is close to us. He is not a distant, uninvolved, uninterested God, but a loving Savior whose arms reach out to us in the midst of our brokenness.

Maybe you are in the midst of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, month, or even year. Maybe you resonate with the notion that in the midst of a valley, it’s hard to worship. Take some time today to thank God that He hears our cries, He promises to deliver us, and we can rest assured that He remains close to us even in our darkest moments.

Ask yourself  these questions: Have I ever experienced a difficulty that inhibits my worship? Which of these three promises do I need to be reminded of; God hears my cry, God promises to deliver me, or God is near to me?


Prayer for Today
Father, thank You for being a personal God who is involved in my life. Thank You for hearing my cries. I want to worship You in the midst of this difficult time. Help me to see that Your promise to deliver me from trouble is Your promise to see me through till the end. Thank You for being near to me, especially when I am hurting the most. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 
(via Ron Zappia)
 Be Blesed!
 
Dawn