In my distress I called to the Lord
Psalms 18:6 - David wrote this psalm about 1,000 years before the birth of Christ. God’s faithful have always known they can rely on Him to hear and answer our passionate cries for help.
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“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”
Psalms 18:6 NIV
Psalm 18 is one of the psalms of David. It’s a song of praise to the Lord; a song of deliverance. It begins with this foreword in Psalms 18:1 —
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, LORD, my strength.
That provides us with context for this psalm, and much of David’s praise of God is also covered in 2 Samuel 22:1-51. King David always knew that he could count on God in times of trouble… which were frequent and severe! He uses the word distress (from the ancient Hebrew צַר (ṣar)) to describe his feelings during his calamities — the word is not only defined as distress or tribulation, but being in a narrow and tight place. That’s somewhat akin to a person using the term “between a rock and a hard place” to describe a bad situation.
In calling upon the Lord, David was showing his trust and total reliance on God. The king had a personal relationship with God, and David knows that God will respond to those who seek Him.
One thing Barb and I have learned during our years of writing these devotionals is that repetition is frequently used in the Bible to highlight urgent, desperate situations. David immediately follows the words “I called out to the Lord” with “I cried to my God for help.” By using the term “my God”, David is emphasizing the bond between him and the Lord.
God was the protector and deliverer of Israel, as described in Exodus 3:7-8 and consistent with the covenant made with Moses. David was demonstrating his faith in God’s intervention in trying times by crying out to God, an act that was both physical and spiritual.
I must admit that I did a double-take when I read the next part of this verse — “From His temple He heard my voice” — as the temple had not yet been constructed in Jerusalem. David was most likely referring to God’s dwelling place in heaven, as described in Psalms 11:4 —
“The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.”
Psalms 11:4 NIV
God not only sees everyone on earth, but he hears the cries (and prayers) of His people from heaven. There are numerous places in scripture (1 Kings 8:30, for example) where we read about God hearing from His temple, giving us assurance that He is actively involved in the lives of His people.
Once again, David uses repetition to drive home the point of the psalm — “my cry came before him, into his ears.” David uses such beautiful imagery here, describing a God who is always nearby and ready to assist those who are in need. It’s that assurance that gave David comfort and hope, and it can give us hope as well.
In one of the later Psalms (Psalm 46:1), we read that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” That assurance is the reward of faith, having a constant refuge and source of strength whenever we are in trouble. In the New Testament era, we have Jesus as our intercessor who hears and responds to our cries for assistance. If you have been reading Barb’s excellent series on Hebrews (every other day interspersed with my random God-directed walk through the Bible), you might remember these words from Hebrews 4:14-16:
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
David wrote this psalm about 1,000 years before the birth of Christ. God’s faithful have always known they can rely on Him to hear and answer our passionate cries for help.
For a further exploration of Psalms, click this link!
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Lord, in my times of trouble, I can depend on You and will call upon Your grace and mercy. I know that you always hear my cries for help in prayer, and that you’ll provide me with the strength and comfort I need. Thank You for giving us Jesus as an intercessor who allows us to approach Your throne of grace with confidence. AMEN.
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