Megan Evans, Women’s Ministry Director, LHBC
Psalm 64:1 (ESV)
Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
I have a lot of respect for customer service departments. These people must either be saints or made of steel. Maybe both. I don’t know that I have ever stood in line or waited on the phone for an hour to give a compliment, have you? But, if we are in need of a repair or a replacement, we can quickly find ourselves in the que. Have you been there?
No one likes waiting in line to be heard. Thankfully there is one place we will never have to wait our turn. God readily hears us when we call His name. From the smallest to the greatest offense, we can bring our concerns and complaints to him. Daily we can keep a running conversation of prayer with our Protector and Defender. “Ouch God, those words she just spoke to me sting” or “wow, what he did sure seems unfair,” or “I just don’t like that one bit”… the list goes on of things we can tell the Lord about our day. We can be sure God sees and hears what we do too, but He has the power to respond with perfect justice, mercy and love.
As a result, we can rest in God’s protection and He will preserve our life from dread and attack of the enemy. We have a choice NOT to join the devil on his turf when he prowls around our relationships and messes with the contentment of daily life. But, it’s hard! Our human sin nature wants to retaliate to our circumstances with words and actions. That’s why we need God’s help. We can bring any complaint or injustice to the Lord. This frees us from sinful traps of response, retaliation, and rebellion.
The word “complaint” often has the connotation of whining and annoyance, but the Bible reminds us that there is a purpose and a place for our thoughts and expressions. The psalmist David reminds us that God longs to hear our voice. Psalm 64 reminds us that God is our Defender and Comforter. He invites us to pour out our frustrations to him so he can act.
Think of the last time you were offended, cheated, or experienced injustice. How did you react? Anger itself is not a sin, but our expressions and reactions from it can be for sure. We might feel justified to vent and run our mouth, but we often forget the danger of these sins. Ephesians 4:26 reminds us that we are wise to let God come to our defense, because sinning in our anger can actually give the devil a foothold. Pride strangles our humility without the intervention of the Holy Spirit. Unkind and careless speech easily oozes from our mouths when we are disgruntled. However, gossip and careless actions will ultimately neither protect nor defend us. What if we turned instead to the One who wants to hear us, defend us, and help us?
Cry out to God today. Tell him what is on your mind. Let him protect and defend you today.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father God, you are my Protector and Defender. Thwart all plans of the enemy for my life today. Lord, help me turn to you first in my responses today—and rest there. You see when I’ve been wronged and you also see when I am in the wrong. Jesus, melt my heart in humility so that I can show the same grace and mercy that you show me. Let me release all fear and control and instead let you come to my rescue. In Jesus Name, Amen.
James 1:12- 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him