“O Lord, You have heard the desire and the longing of the humble and oppressed; You will prepare and strengthen anddirect their hearts, You will cause Your ear to hear.”
Psalm 10:17 AMPC
Grace Perspective:
David wrote this passage lamenting the wickedness of prideful men oppressing the poor. He saw the devastation that greed and selfishness caused the weak and needy. So David cried out to the Lord, asking, “Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide Yourself, [veiling Your eyes] in times of trouble (distress and desperation)?” (Psalm 10:1) David recognized that prayer is how we seek God’s guidance and trust His presence even when we feel distant or overwhelmed.
David, distressed by the sight of proud men prospering at the expense of the poor and needy, was not without hope. Despite the wicked’s disregard for God and their self-serving ways, David’s distress led him to seek God’s guidance through prayer.
God hears the cry of a humble heart. Though we may not understand why He allows the wicked to oppress the poor and needy, we can trust that He will rightly judge prideful hearts that oppose Him. Living with a heart of gracious humility keeps us close to God, who will strengthen us and direct us when we pray with a humble heart. Humble prayer invites God’s perspective and deepens our trust in His plan.
A Touch of Grace:
How do you see pride and humility at odds in your life?
What are the deepest longings of your heart that you can bring before God today?
Grace Application:
Pride blinds us to the needs of others. If we allow pride to rule our hearts, we will find ourselves far from God and on a path that may bring great pain to ourselves and others. If we’re honest, we all struggle with pride.
When we humble ourselves before God, He prepares our hearts. He softens the calloused places caused by pride as we bring our longings and desires to Him. Sometimes, we find it hard to express our thoughts in words, but God understands these deep groanings in a way no one else can. We can trust that even unspoken prayers are heard and understood by Him.
God desires us to live humbly before Him, sharing our deepest needs and desires so He can direct our hearts. While He won’t give us everything we want (that would be disastrous!) He does give us what we need. As we come to the Lord in humble prayer, He prepares our hearts and strengthens us to follow His planned path.
In His Grace,
Dawn
Prayer:
Gracious Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior. Thank You for the privilege of coming to You with my deepest longings. Forgive me for the sin of pride that keeps me from coming to You and fails to see the needs of those around me. Lord, prepare my heart, direct my path, and help me follow You humbly. Amen.
**Today, as you read this, I pray each of you will know you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubt, please seek God so that all doubt is erased. Today is a good day to be assured of salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**