[reprinted from September 29, 2008]
Help, God—the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help!
Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy.                  Psalm 130:1-2 (The Message)
This is a word of encouragement for everyone who reads this today. If you are having a bad time in your life and the words of the psalmist rings for you – God is listening!
These words may be the cry of your heart if you have or had an illness or you are a farmer and the rain has not come. You may have had a disagreeable discussion with your spouse or your son or daughter. Your job may be a dragging you into a pit that seems to have no stairway out.
“I am crying out to You from this pit, LORD! Hear me!â€
God is listening. How do I know? Because others have told me. Joseph cried out to God from the pit his brothers had thrown him (Genesis 37:23-36). He is rescued from there, seems to be in good shape, and he is thrown into a pit again…Pharoah’s prison (Genesis 39:19-23). He is used by God to free others – but is left in that jail for another two years (Genesis 40:23-41:1).
“Hey, LORD! Have you forgotten me?â€
David is chased all over Israel by a paranoid, angry king! He has a couple of opportunities to kill the king – but he doesn’t (1 Samuel 18-19, 24, 26). David, the anointed one of God, hides in caves and has few friends.
“God! Protect me from the hundreds who want to kill me!â€
Even David was a sinner and felt short of God’s glory (2 Samuel 11-12). But God-in-the-flesh, Jesus, came to be through David lineage (Matthew 1). God had a plan all along!
If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you’re worshiped. I pray to God—my life a prayer— and wait for what he’ll say and do.
My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.    Psalm 130:5-6 (The Message)
God is mercy. He is also merciful. He is full of mercy. He hears our cry and answers – not because I deserve it – but because He loves me. I am His child. He is goodness and kindness. Yes, He disciplines and sometimes I am in that pit in order to learn something. Call it a form of ‘timeout’! But God’s eye is on the timer and He will not leave me or forget me. He rescues me. He pours out His love on me because He has com-passion!
God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.  1 Peter 5:7 (CEV)
So take all that stuff that makes you feel heavy, overwhelmed, and hopeless and give it to the only One big enough to handle anything. Take that step of faith and trust Jesus.
