Hear My Cry

Surely, I wait for the Lord;

        who bends down to me and hears my cry,

Draws me up from the pit of destruction,

         out of the muddy clay,

Sets my feet upon rock,

         steadies my steps,

And puts a new song in my mouth,

         a hymn to our God.

                                        Psalm 40:2–4

What a beautiful image, God bending down to me, hearing my cries and drawing me up. In some of my most desperate moments, I have wanted nothing more than for someone to comfort me as if I were once again a small child. It is this kind of care that I sense in the beginning of this Psalm. God, as parent, coming to pick me up and surround me with a loving embrace. 

But the story doesn't end there. The next line of the Psalm tells of what every good parent does after offering comfort–sets me on my own feet and gives me the strength to move on. There is work to be done. 

Right now, many of us feel stuck in the muddy clay. If you are weary, don't stop crying out for God's help. Don't lose hope. God will not abandon you. 

And if your feet have been steadied on firm ground, keep listening. God may be calling you to be the hands and feet that reach out to comfort someone else.