Cry Out to God - The Crosswalk Devotional - March 22
Cry Out to God
By Michelle Lazurek
Bible Reading:
“I lift my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:1-2
“Your job has been cut due to budget cuts.” This is what an e-mail said to me a week before Christmas. As a writer, writing jobs are hard to come by. We often get article contracts, but they are frequently not consistent income. We must scour the Internet for other opportunities to make sure we get the opportunities we need. A writer usually scrapes by in terms of income. Yet, this is the calling God has placed on my life.
Because of skyrocketing costs and an unstable economy, this was a mountain of a problem. It was one thing to have my job cut, but quite another to find another writing opportunity. Because writing opportunities are so few, it is difficult for many writers to get jobs within their field. I knew this would be difficult for me to recover. Although the income was not much, it was substantial enough to help pay for some monthly bills. I worried about the problem. I searched the Internet for additional writing jobs and asked friends to be on the lookout for opportunities.
When nothing happened, I finally bowed my head. “Lord, I need your help. I can't do this without you. Please help me find a new job to cover my missing income. God, you have been so good with our provision. I pray you will again provide in miraculous ways. Amen.”
Instead of running to God first, I took matters into my own hands. I thought I could fix the problem by merely using my tools and resources. However, God wants me to run to him. Even if I could fix the issue alone, God wants me to express my emotions. Even though the job required writing many articles throughout the month, it was income I could count on. Without it, I wasn't sure I'd be able to pay our mortgage.
When we have problems that look like mountains in our lives, it's easy for us to take matters into our own hands. We may try to resolve the issue independently, talking to friends, utilizing tools and resources, and doing anything without going to God. But sometimes, the best thing we can do is cry out to God.
In the above verse, the psalmist understands having problems that look like mountains. But he cries out to God because he knows his help can only come from him. God is in the business of working miracles in our lives. Even when we don't feel him working, he's still working on our behalf. God will never let us down. He's fully present with us. When we have problems that look like mountains in our lives, we can lift our eyes to the one who created the mountains in the first place.
There is no situation in our lives that God can't resolve. Even in the most challenging situations where we feel a positive result is impossible, God can turn any situation around. He can soften hearts, open doors no one can shut, and change people's lives. Even when we are tempted to take matters into our own hands and resolve problems ourselves, God wants us to come to him.
Because he created the heavens and the earth, he already knows our issues before we even experience them. In our pain, we can cry out to God, who is faithful in hearing our prayers and working on our behalf. But we must cry out to him. God does not force himself in places where he is not wanted. Our cries are a sign to him that he is welcome to work in our lives.
When you are in trouble, where do you lift your eyes? Do you take matters into your own hands and try to resolve the problem yourself? Do you cry out to God, the creator of the heavens and the earth? Yield your life fully to him. Let him work on your behalf. You may be surprised to see the miraculous and wonderous works he does on your behalf.
Father, let us constantly cry out to you in our distress. Let us lift our eyes to you when we have problems that look like mountains. Remember that as you created the heavens and the earth, you also made us. You can handle our issues and are faithful in resolving them in your time. Amen.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
In what ways have you failed to cry out to God in your distress? What is one thing you can do today to turn your heart entirely to him?
Further Reading:
Romans 8:28
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Related Resource: 3 Simple Steps to Manage Your Emotions
Are you tired of up-and-down feelings stealing your peace, sabotaging your relationships, and filling your mind with self-defeating thoughts? What if you had a proven emotional management tool to biblically respond to your feelings with compassion and clarity? Join us for today’s episode to discover three simple steps to manage emotions, reduce stress, improve decision-making, and grow closer to God. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
