The Cry Of My Heart – Psalm 119.145-152

      J. C. Ryle once stated, “It is natural to us to do wrong…Our hearts are like the earth on which we tread; let it alone, and it is sure to bear weeds.”[1] How true he is, the Bible states, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good” (Psalm 14.1, ESV; also see Romans 3.12).[2] It does not matter what we try to do, we cannot do anything good outside of God’s help. The Psalmist claims, “I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord,” (vs. 145).[3] He is leaving nothing on the table, crying out to God with all his heart. In the next verse he says, “I call out to You; save me” (vs. 146); the Psalmist desires God’s intervention in his life. He will not take no for an answer. However, notice he is not just asking for an answer, but he is also declaring his willingness to obey and keep the decrees and statutes of God.
      Just how much should we desire to obey and keep God’s Word? How earnestly should we cry out to God for help, for Him to listen to us? The Psalmist says, I have put my hope in Your Word, therefore I rise up early in the morning and cry out to you for help (vs. 147, my emphasis). No matter what troubles might come, whether we are up or down, meditating on God’s wonderous promises will always keep us watchful through the night.
      The Lord loves to hear from His children, He is waiting for us to communicate with Him. The question is will we reach out to our Heavenly Father and ask Him for anything? Sometimes the things we need to be asking for are simple, like “preserve my life” (vs. 150). We must always be on the lookout for those who do not wish to follow God’s Word. They are easy to spot, they are the ones not obeying His Word or Commands.  We need to show them love and compassion but we need to also show them how to live according to the Word of God.
      No matter how far away God might seem, when we cry out for Him, He is always right beside us. We can be reassured of His presence and help by His faithful and trustworthy Word. Knowing what God’s Word has to say and applying it to our heart will help us to learn His statutes and ways. Also, continually reminding us how wonderful, awesome and everlasting God’s Holy Word really is.
 
Application
 

1. What does your heart look like? Is there sin residing in your heart? Psalm 66.18 states, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66.18, KJV):[4] Ask God today to remove any sin that might be in your heart, so, your communication line to God will be clear. Dear Father in Heaven, Savior of my soul, I humbly come to You asking for forgiveness for sins I have committed against You and You alone. I know these sins were against others, but in the end all sins are truly only against You Lord. Please cleanse me and make me white as snow. In Jesus Christ Name, Amen.
2. When was the last time you rose up early or stayed up late to cry out to God or meditate on His Word? In the next week set aside one day to get up early to spend time in prayer with your Heavenly Father. Also set aside one day to stay up late and meditate on God’s Holy Word. Try in both cases to give at least 30 minutes to each, and make it a sacrifice. Meaning do not use time you would normally get up, or stay up. Give up some time for God.
3. Do you feel God near you? If not, why do you think that is? Remember His promise to never leave you or forsake you, so you must be off the path some. Let us pray and ask God to help bring us back on His path and into a closer relationship with Him. Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, I know here lately it seems like we have drifted apart. More correctly, I have drifted away from You. Lord, bring me back onto Your Path, help me to have a much deeper relationship with You. Help me to remember Your commands, the hope of Your Word, and to learn from Your statutes. Our relationship is the most important one in my life, because it is the one that will get me through each and every day. Lord I thank You and praise You in Jesus Christ Name, Amen.

[1] Ritzema, E. (Ed.). (2012). 300 Quotations for Preachers. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ps 14:1). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[3] The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 119:145). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ps 66:18). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.