Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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God who listens to our cry

Psalm 145

‘Praise God who lifts us up when we fall and listens to our cry.’ (v.19)

 ‘The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him.’ (V: 18-20). This Psalm celebrates the Kingdom of God and echoes the theme of the Lord’s Prayer – where Jesus pictures God the King as a father who ‘gives us our daily bread’ and ‘forgives us our sins’. King David praises God, our creator, who is not only eternal and universal, but also has compassion on all human beings and listens to their cry. David was strengthened by God’s power when he was tending his father’s sheep, fighting Goliath, and being chased and hounded by Saul and later Absalom. He also experienced the love, mercy and forgiveness of the Lord when he sinned and cried out to the Lord with remorse.
           Genesis (Ch. 16 & 21) tells the story of Hagar and her son driven out by Abraham and Sara to journey through the desert. The boy cried for water and was about to die. Hagar could not bear to see her son dying. So she went a distance away when the angel of the Lord encountered her and asked her to go back to her son. Her eyes were opened to see a well gushing with water. (Gen 21:14-19). God saw her and had compassion on her. In our own desert experiences, God sees us and opens up “wells” for us. These may come to us in the form of comfort from a friend in times of distress, ‘our daily bread’, healing from a physical ailment or distress, help and counsel from people to tide over stressful situations or forgiveness from God when we fail and fall. In such times, like Hagar, we can say “Now I see the God who sees me.”
           The Lord is eternal (Alpha and Omega) the only one who is with us from the beginning of our life to its end. He is our King and His Kingdom is near to us just a call or cry away. He provides us with our ‘daily bread’. He is the only one whom we can truly depend on. Once we experience the goodness of the Lord, we should meditate on it, praise Him and commend Him to the next generation and others. This Psalm, like many other Psalms, praises the Lord for all His blessings. We too should worship and praise God in truth; our praise should come from the depth of our hearts not merely from our lips.

Prayer:  Thank you Lord for lifting me up when I fall, hearing my cry, and bearing my burdens. May “your Kingdom come and your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven!”

Thought for the day: “The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

John Abraham, Carmel, MTC, Boston 
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Word for the day November 19 was written by 
Dr. Georgie Abraham, Carmel MTC. Boston 


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