Thoughts for the Day

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
to cut off the remembrance of them
from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help,
the Lord hears,
and rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Psalm 34 is attributed to David at a time when he was fleeing from King Saul, but then only just escaped with his life in the Philistine city of Gath. He finally found safety in a cave at Adullam and was joined by many other desperate men. His words are no doubt intended to lift the spirits of these desperate men. You will find the story in 1 Samuel 21.10-22. The psalm is an acrostic, using a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, presumably to help them to remember its words which they would have learnt by heart..

It can remind us when life is difficult, whatever the reason: through sickness; or because we are broken-hearted at the death of a loved one; through personal danger as with David; or because we are struggling financially, that God will hear our prayers and answer them. There is always a caveat that his answers are not always what we expect!

We also need to remember that God often answers prayer through the help of others. Today, can we help someone who is crying for help, or crushed in spirit? Can we visit or ring someone in need? Can we provide some other help to someone who is desperate? Can we not let today go by without helping someone in trouble?

Heavenly Father
when we are in need of help
may we pray with confidence to You,
knowing that You will answer our prayer.
When life is good may we remember
all those who need a comforting word
or practical help,
and do something to alleviate
their pain.
Amen.