You Heard My Cry For Mercy (Psalm 31:21-24)

²¹ Praise be to the Lord,
for he showed me the wonders of his love
when I was in a city under siege.
²² In my alarm I said,
“I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.

²³ Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
but the proud he pays back in full.
²⁴ Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord.

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What struck me in the conclusion to Psalm 31 is David’s exclamation in verse 22.  When he was “under siege” he was alarmed and believed himself cut off from the Lord.  But as he points out, the Lord had heard his cry and rescued him.  Therefore, he says, we are to be strong and take heart as we hope in the Lord.

God has promised to answer our prayers, but sometimes His response seems slow or inadequate.  I have been in that “alarm” state of wondering if an answer was coming at all, wondering what God is doing, if anything at all.  This is another head/heart dichotomy issue.  I know the promises regarding prayer, that the Lord hears all of our prayers, and will answer them – in His time and according to His will.  And yet there are times when my heart struggles with this.  Many times I have encouraged people to pray and turn their burdens over to the Lord, and then find peace in knowing that the Lord will answer.  Many times I have needed that encouragement myself.

David was alarmed for a time, but the Lord came through for him – in His time, according to His will.   It is one of the core comforts of being a follower of Christ that He does hear our prayers, and that He will answer.  My prayer today is for a solid faith to trust in His promises regarding prayer, and so to know the peace of leaving my petitions at the cross.

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