He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. Psalm 91:15 NIV
Throughout my lifetime, I have done a lot of repairs on cars from minor to major work projects. Most of the time it ends with success. On one particular day, I was beaten. I could not break a major bolt loose. I worked on it for several hours. Finally it broke free. Not the bolt, but my prayer erupted into an audible cry, “God, I am working very hard to maintain our cars, could you please help!” Then I laughed. He responded, “I’ve been here all day, it is only NOW that you have asked for My help!” It was true, I had failed to ask for his help.
All the promises of God are faithful and true. They are more secure than any bank vault. They maintain their high value and they also have the power to bring to pass what has been committed. Although you can’t be good enough to earn their rewards, there is one action that accompanies the promise. You must ASK for its fulfillment. Even salvation expects for us to “confess with our mouth”.
He saves us many times just because we are His children. However the normal interaction we have for God helping us is expressing our dependency through asking for His help. The Psalmist takes it to an even deeper level when he says that those in trouble will CRY out to Him for help. Cries to God are not simple levels of dialogue, they are expressions that burst forth from the heart. Many times a cry is shortened to just one word, “help”.
God responds in 4 ways
- I will answer him. When we cry out to him, make sure you take time to listen. Most of the time we want to continue crying out and eventually that will spill over into complaining. We quit asking for help and become more identified with the unfairness of our problem. Cry out! Then listen for God’s response
- Expect His presence. Trials and troubles change dramatically when you sense that God is present with you. When you walk through the waters – He has promised to be with you. Never will I leave you, nor forsake you says our Father.
- Deliverance will come. The Bible is full of examples of God delivering His children from all sorts of situations. Where are you looking for your help (deliverance) to come from? God loves to help those who are broken and contrite. God’s time table is now ours, but His help comes.
- He honors him. The Hebrew word choice is “chabad” which is the same as glory or weighty in value. The deliverance experience creates a weighty testimony of God’s faithfulness that is deposited into your life-story account. “Once I was blind, but now I see”, has been quoted all over the world. Joseph went through a lot of painful experiences. Yet, we remember him more for his gracious forgiveness, favor with Pharaoh and saving his family.
Psalm 91 is recognized as a Psalm of protection and deliverance. Make it your own first person experience. “Cry out” to him in the day of trouble. Then keep on talking.
Blessings Love y’all