1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 2: Hello, thank you for listening to your Daily Bible Verse, 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,319 Speaker 2: the podcast that examines the Bible each day to learn 4 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 2: more about God and his will for us. I'm your host, 5 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 2: Shatka Hines, and after this short word from our sponsor, 6 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 2: we'll continue with our lit series, God Meets You in 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 2: the Wilderness with a discussion on Psalm seventy seven, verses 8 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 2: one and two. Today's Bible verses our Psalm seventy seven, 9 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 2: verses one and two. I cried out to God for help. 10 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 2: I cried out to God to hear me when I 11 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 2: was in distress. I sought the Lord at night. I 12 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 2: stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted. 13 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 2: Now I have a dear friend. She's more my sister 14 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 2: than a friend, and she's been facing a debilitating illness 15 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 2: for the past eight years. She's a faithful follower of Jesus, 16 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 2: and she has spent many nights crying out to the 17 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 2: Lord for relief. I've spent many nights on her behalf, 18 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 2: crying out to the Lord for relief for her. She 19 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 2: told me once how hard it is to feel like 20 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 2: you're in the middle, not at the beginning of the crisis, 21 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 2: but not on the other side of it, either time's 22 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 2: wandering in the wilderness, thirsty for life giving water and 23 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: hungry for answers, holding on to faith that God, here's 24 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 2: the prayers you cry out night after night, but not 25 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 2: experiencing the relief you desire. Jennithon Of, the author of 26 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 2: Psalm seventy seven, was one of David's chief musicians. Psalm 27 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 2: seventy seven can be read as an individual lament psalm. 28 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 2: The first verse repeats out to God now. Repetition in 29 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 2: Hebrew literature was a common way to emphasize a word 30 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 2: or idea, and in this case, the psalmist is emphasizing 31 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:16,919 Speaker 2: the intense distress that he feels. Help God, hear me 32 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 2: God out of his distress. He sought the Lord night 33 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 2: after night. He stretches out his hands to God and 34 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,239 Speaker 2: looks to him to be the sole comforter of his soul, 35 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 2: waiting on his God. We see the perseverance of the 36 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 2: psalmist through a wilderness time of seemingly unanswered prayer. In 37 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 2: reading this psalm, I find myself also in a season 38 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: of crying out to God about situations in my life 39 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 2: about which He seems silent or at least slow to answer, 40 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 2: a desert place that seems bereft of God's presence, And 41 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 2: I wonder am I praying wrong? 42 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: Does God care about the things concerning me? 43 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 2: Please notice that the passage says I stretched out untiring hands, 44 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 2: and I would not be comforted in his distress. The 45 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 2: Psalmist chooses to be relentless in prayer, refuses to be 46 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 2: comforted by anything less than God himself. No numbing or distracting, 47 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: just real, raw, authentic prayer. And when God doesn't seem 48 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 2: to answer later, he asks in verse seven, will the 49 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 2: Lord reject forever? 50 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: Will he never show favor again? 51 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:36,119 Speaker 2: Now, unlike this Psalmist or anyone in the Old Testament, 52 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 2: we have an answer to that question, allowing for a 53 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 2: shift in our perspective, our attitude, and our emotional state 54 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 2: from one of despair to one of hopeful expectation. God's 55 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 2: answer to the questions will will the Lord reject us forever? 56 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 2: Or does he hear me? Or will he help me? 57 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 2: Is answered once and for all time. 58 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: In the of Jesus. 59 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: We are not left on our own to wander the 60 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 2: wilderness of unanswered prayer. Jesus is the beacon for weary 61 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 2: wandering worn out. 62 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:16,559 Speaker 1: Hearts to the question, will he reject us forever? 63 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,359 Speaker 2: Jesus says, I will never leave you or forsake you, 64 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 2: and I am with you always until the very end 65 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 2: of the age. Does he see my hurt, my sorrow, 66 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 2: my stress, my concerns, my needs? Jesus says, come to me, 67 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 2: all you who are weary and burden, and I. 68 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: Will give you rest. To those who. 69 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 2: Wonder if God answers prayer, Jesus tells the parable of 70 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 2: the persistent Widow and Luke eighteen to show that people should, 71 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 2: and I'm quoting here, they should always pray and not 72 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 2: give up because and again I'm quoting, will not God 73 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 2: bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out 74 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 2: to him day and night? The answer is a resounding yes, 75 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 2: because of Jesus. No matter how we feel in this 76 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 2: season of unanswered prayer, we can know that we have 77 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 2: a God who sees us, hears us, and will answer 78 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 2: us according to his timing and his will. Psalm seventy 79 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 2: seven offers wisdom on how to respond to unanswered prayers. 80 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 2: I would suggest that you take some time and read 81 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 2: through Psalm seventy seven. It might help to journal about 82 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 2: the questions asked and the emotional process you see happening there, 83 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 2: and the ultimate attitude of the Psalmists during this season 84 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 2: of Lent. When you find yourself wandering in the wilderness 85 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 2: of unanswered prayer like this Psalmist, be relentless in prayer, 86 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 2: refuse to numb or distract yourself from the situation that 87 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 2: needs God's attention, and don't settle for anything less than 88 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 2: God's answer. And you can know that because God sent 89 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 2: his son Jesus to live and die on your behalf, 90 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 2: that God will always meet you in the wilderness. He 91 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:15,600 Speaker 2: always sees you, He always hears you, He always cares 92 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 2: for you. 93 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 1: God desires for. 94 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 2: You to keep praying, to rest in His love and 95 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 2: to understand that He will answer your prayers according to 96 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 2: his will and in his perfect timing. 97 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: Let's pray Ah by you are the God who sees us. 98 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 2: And in this wilderness of unanswer prayer that I am 99 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 2: walking through, and I know so many others who are 100 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,920 Speaker 2: listening to my voice right now are walking through, we 101 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:55,040 Speaker 2: ask that you would strengthen us and give us eyes 102 00:06:55,400 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 2: to see Jesus. Jesus the one we're making space for 103 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 2: this Lent season, that we could experience him more fully, 104 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 2: that we could know his goodness, that we could feel 105 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 2: and sense his presence, that we could walk toward him 106 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 2: and keep our eyes fixed on him as he walks 107 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 2: towards the cross, toward Easter Sunday, when he raised from 108 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 2: the dead, toward the time God, when he defeated death, 109 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 2: and he claimed victory, and he said, all authority and 110 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 2: heaven and unearth has been given to me. So yes, 111 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 2: our Jesus is the one who sees us, hears us, 112 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 2: and answers our prayers. So, God, wherever we find ourselves 113 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 2: right now, help us to hang on. Help us to 114 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 2: be relentless in prayer like the persistent widow. And God, 115 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 2: help us not to struggle though with the doubt of 116 00:07:58,960 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 2: whether or not. 117 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: You are with us. Because you are with us. Jesus 118 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: proves you are with us. 119 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 3: How we love you, God, how we need you, and God, 120 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 3: how we worship you and thank you that you will 121 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 3: answer our prayers according to your will and in your 122 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 3: perfect timing. 123 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.