In one of the many psalms that emphasize crying out to God, an important lesson is taught to those “who fear God.” The psalmist first testifies,
Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was extolled with my tongue.
Then the psalmist acknowledges what can block our cries from reaching God:
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.
Finally he rests and rejoices in the knowledge that his cry has gotten through:
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me ! 91
The iniquity represented by our pride, our self-sufficiency, and our selfishness will keep us from crying out to God in sincerity so that He will hear. But as we rest and rejoice in the forgiveness and righteousness we have through Christ, we can confidently cry out and know that God will respond.
Joints to J^onder
Have you ever cried out to God in a crisis, but nothing happened? Did your cry reflect total humility? Did you acknowledge your complete weakness? Was there unconditional surrender to Gods will on every matter? Are there still areas in your life where you have not fully surrendered to Him?
en