I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.
–Psalm 17:6
A number of psalmists have recorded their complaints and frustration over the apparent “earlessness” of God. There may have been times when you have felt the same frustration and wondered if God was listening to your prayers. God answers through the psalmist who wrote in Psalm 94:9, “Does he who implanted the ear not hear?”
Dr. Snyder’s says Psalm 94:9 is a “great counterquestion.” He goes on to say, “Since it was God who designed and created the ear in the first place, how is it that we think he does not or cannot hear? Seems kind of silly, doesn’t it? Not only does God hear every word spoken every moment by every human being on earth, he also knows every thought and every motivation behind every thought (1 Chron. 28:9). That’s not good news to those who don’t want there to be a God, but very good news to those who do.
“So it’s absolutely certain that God is ‘lending an ear’ when we pray. The writer of this particular psalm is convinced (most likely on the basis of long experience) that God will hear him when he calls and that God will answer him.
“Let’s join him in that conviction by shaking off the recurring fear that the heavens are silent and by expecting that the God who knows all there is to know is well aware of our need, hears our voice, and will fulfill his good plan and purpose for us. He may take his time in answering, but he will arrive on schedule.”
TODAY’S PRAYER: Are you wondering if God gave you the gift of complaint? If yes, be assured that you aren’t the first person to think so. Acknowledge your weakness, then ask God to remove your fear and replace it with the knowledge of his ever-abiding presence in your life.
Photo by David DeHetre via Flickr
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