“O Lord, You have heard the desire and the longing of the humble and oppressed; You will prepare and strengthen and direct 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) Was God hiding? Not at all.
David was distressed because he saw proud men prospering as they oppressed the poor and needy. But unfortunately, these wicked men ignored God and lived for themselves, spurred on by selfish desires. This experience led David to seek direction from God in 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.
A Touch of Grace:
Where do you see oppression today?
What longing will you 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, not just to ourselves but to others around us. 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.
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 Him on the path He has planned.
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 for sure you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubt, please seek God, so 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**