Photo by: Mark J. Booth
“In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” (Psalm 18:6)
“Will anybody listen to me?” Have you ever caught yourself thinking this very thought? Yes, throughout life there are times when we feel alone. We think no one understands. When these times occur, we must not forget that there is One who is always available to listen. He understands exactly how we feel. Are we prepared to confide in Him?
When we confide in the Lord, we are saying: “I trust you, and I know that you care about me. I pour out my heart to you, because I know that you understand. Please show me what I need to do.”
Why do we need to confide in the Lord?
Has a situation ever come our way and we don’t know what to do? We feel helpless in the midst of what is happening around us. Many years ago, King Jehoshaphat of Judah faced the near certain defeat of his army. Within himself there was no strength or wisdom to handle this dire situation. He did what we all must do when we are confused and helpless. He went to the Lord. “O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” (2 Chronicles 20:12) God is waiting for us to confide in Him in the midst of our confusion. At times, we don’t confide in God because we are reluctant to admit our need of Him.
Another reason we need to confide in the Lord is that our own viewpoint can lead us astray. You have heard the saying: “Let your heart be your guide.” However, God tells us why our heart is not a reliable guide for our life. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? ” (Jeremiah 17:9) God makes it clear that our heart is not to be trusted. We often make decisions based upon our own selfishness or bias. When we confide in God, we will see life from His perspective.
Trials, heartaches, and difficulties fill our life. We can’t travel the hard road of this life without continually confiding in our Lord. Jesus said: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) When tribulations come, do we forget that the Lord is greater than any trial that comes into our life? When we cry out to Him in midst of our pain, He responds to us. When an emergency happens in this life we call 911. Why are we so reluctant to cry out to the Lord in the midst of our pain?
People say: “I would be a good Christian, if it wasn’t for other people.” Yes, other people may hurt us, misunderstand us, ignore us and dislike us, but there is a friend who is always there. His name is Jesus! David confided in God when he faced powerful enemies; so can we. “Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;” (Psalm 55:2) The Lord is a Friend who will never leave us or disappoint us. Will we learn to confide in Him when we have problems with others?
Finally, we need to confide in God because of His Greatness. He is worthy of our faith. God is our all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful Lord and Friend. He is our High Priest to whom we can go at any time. He is a refuge in the midst of any storm. “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.” (Psalm 62:8) God’s greatness is like a magnet that draws us to Him. He can handle any situation that we take to Him.
How do we confide in the Lord?
Confiding in the Lord is simply to share our requests openly with Him. He already knows what is happening in our lives, but He wants us to come before Him in complete faith and honesty. “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God.” (Psalm 59:1) The Psalmist understood that he could share any request with God, and He would hear him. Our God desires us to seek Him. His love means that His ears are always open to our cries unto Him.
As we confide in Him, we must also remember the importance of having a grateful heart. Gratitude is a way of confiding in the Lord that we are totally dependent upon Him. In Philippians 4:6, Paul writes: “In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving.” When we cry out to God, we thank Him for all that He is doing in our lives, and all that He will do in our lives.
Confiding in God is also demonstrated when we come before Him in desperation. We don’t see God as part of the solution, or maybe a possible solution. No! God is the only solution. The Psalmist writes: “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:6) Our desperate cry is saying: “I need you, Lord. You alone can help me.” God will respond to this humble cry.
We are often tempted to seek to handle life in our own wisdom and strength. Yet, the Lord is always there. He is always ready to listen. Why do we choose failure in our own strength and wisdom, instead of choosing success in His strength and wisdom? God is waiting to hear from us today! Will we confide in Him?
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