Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me. Psalm 50:15
There’s something tough times accomplish which good days never do. When the going gets tough, people begin thinking about God, wondering if He can make a difference, if He can give them deliverance from their difficulties.
The Old Testament book of Genesis tells us that in the second generation from Adam, in the days of Enosh, “men began to call on the name of the LORD” (Genesis 4:26). And what does that mean? The same thing it does today. When you get to the end of yourself, your heart cries out, “God, help me. I can’t handle this myself!” At that moment worship was born. The word that was used means “to call, or to plead for assistance.” There’s intensity in the word, too. It comes from the lips of people who need help.
David, whom Scripture describes as a man after God’s own heart, also cried out to the Lord in times of difficulty. In one of his psalms he said, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliver; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge… I call to the LORD who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies” (2 Samuel 22:2-4).
If you have any thought about God’s indifference to your need, better take a look in the Bible at the promises which God has made, promises which He is bound by His own integrity to honor, where He tells you that He is near when you call upon Him, and that He will deliver the one who calls on Him.
Writing to the Romans, Paul said that God will bring salvation to anyone who calls on Him, regardless of his background or religion. He says, “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him” (Romans 10:12).
Laying hold of God is not a matter of overcoming His indifference to our need but rather overcoming our reluctance to humble ourselves and ask Him to help. The fact is God is far more willing to help you than you are to have Him do so. In times of great distress, as the world seemed to be coming apart, God spoke through Jeremiah and said, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). Why is it so hard for us to bow the knee in humility and say, “Lord, I need your help”?
Listen to a little child as he pushes his mother’s hand away and says, “No, I do it!” We’re born with that stubborn independence that wants help from no one, but the reality is that there are many things you just can’t do yourself. There is a limit to human strength, a limit to what you can change, a limit to providing for what you need.
That’s where God’s sufficiency comes into the picture, where His grace becomes the provision for your need, His strength the solution to your weakness.
May I anticipate your thinking? Chances are you are saying to yourself, “I’d like to believe what I’ve just read but I find it hard to believe that God is really interested in me, little old me, just one of six billion people on Planet Earth.”
Take time to search out God’s invitation for you to call upon Him. Mark Psalm 50:15 in your Bible. It says, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” Then say, “Lord, this is what You said in Your Word, and I’m calling on You because I need Your help.” Then tell God your need. You’ll be amazed what happens when you call on His name.
Resource reading: 2 Samuel 22.
