and His ears are open to their cry.”
THE PSALM 34 CHALLENGE – Day 15
You can join on any day – and memorize the Psalm at your own pace.
Today we add verse 15.
Psalm 34:15, “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.”
Lesson 5 (vs. 15) – If we fear the LORD, He will hear our prayers
Consider this: Today’s verse shows the tender and intimate care of the LORD. He is constantly watching, protecting, and providing for those who fear Him. Nothing escapes His attention. And just as a mother’s ears are tuned to the cries of her child, the LORD’s ears are open to cries of His children. It doesn’t mean that we will never face trouble. Trials may come in like a flood, but the LORD invites you to cast “all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
In 1992 Krista suffered serious health issues that rocked our world. She was hospitalized for some time and it looked like she would not recover. My daily visits to the hospital broke my heart. I would return home and try to find the words to explain to our young children what was happening to their dear mother.
Major life decisions were made with a moment’s notice. I had promised to love “in sickness and in health…” and it was time to prove my love for her. My new role was as a full-time caregiver and I resigned from all other responsibilities. Our frenetic pace of life was abruptly stopped. Work, ministry, board meetings, leadership training – it was immediately erased from my calendar as I devoted my life to caring for my wife and our children. I know if the roles were reversed she would do the same for me. Somehow it felt like a fire had swept through our lives and left us with nothing but ashes. I felt “unemployed!” With no work, and only a very basic health plan, medical bills piled up. After a few months, we were also told that we would need to vacate the house we were renting as the owners needed it for other purposes. We had nowhere to go. We were about to be homeless.
Was the LORD watching what was going on? Was He listening to my cries? I poured out my concerns to Him, saying, “LORD, look at our needs. I feel like we are walking through a dark valley with storm clouds closing in all around us. Oh, LORD, hear our prayers. Help us again. Bring us safely through this valley!”
We had to start looking for a place to live. We had never considered owning a house and I was unfamiliar with the process, but I started looking at open houses. I walked into an open house one day and the Realtor asked me, “Are you looking for a house in this price range? Have you been pre-approved? I had no idea what that meant. She told me that unless I was paying all cash, I would need to start by speaking to a lender. “Do you have one?” she asked. I didn’t even know I needed one. My ignorance was showing!
I made an appointment with a lender. He looked at my tax returns and let out a sigh. He asked, “Who do you work for?” I said, “The LORD!” He asked, “But who pays your wages?” I said, “The LORD!” He asked, “But whose name is on the check?” and “How exactly does He pay you?” I told him, “Twelve years ago I began to serve the LORD. I work hard every day but I am not employed. I have no guaranteed income, and I never let anyone know of any needs I have. Instead, I pray to the LORD and He hears me. You can see from my tax returns that all my needs have been met for 12 years. I am not in debt, and I always pay my rent on time. He provides me with food and covering and He has never failed. The lending officer said, “I need to speak to my supervisor.”
He left the door ajar and walked down the hallway to her office. I could hear the entire conversation. She looked at the paperwork and said, “He’s not qualified!” He said, “I know, but there’s something different about this guy!” She spoke louder, “He’s not qualified!!” He tried another approach, “I just have a good feeling about this one, I think we should give him the loan.” Her voice was stronger than ever as she emphasized each word, “HE IS NOT QUALIFIED!!” In frustration, he blurted out, “The man knows God!” And with that, she signed the paperwork and we were approved.
Was the LORD watching? Was He listening to my cry? I’ll let you decide.
We found a house and moved in the same month we had to move out of the rental house. During that time, Krista’s doctor told me, “Don, your wife will never improve. You are just going to have to live with it. This is how she will be for the rest of her life. The doctor was the expert! But I knew the LORD! And that doctor admitted his amazement when Krista was suddenly healed.
Was there a purpose to all of this? Why did the LORD allow this trial to come our way? I probably don’t know all the reasons, but as we walked through this dark valley, we saw the LORD faithfully provide for every need – the medical bills, our basic living expenses, and a house to live in – every need was met.
Out of the ashes, the LORD brought forth beauty. Born out of the ashes was a new ministry we called d&k Press, which was our Christian publishing and distribution company. In the 20 years that followed, the LORD gave us a broader, more effective ministry than we ever could have imagined. Millions of unsaved people were reached with the gospel; thousands of churches throughout the world were strengthened and emboldened to reach their communities for Christ. Many of the books are still being translated into languages I could never speak. “But as for me, I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause – Who does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number. (Job 5:8-9), Was the LORD watching? Was He listening?
“For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15). The LORD consoles those who mourn. He gives “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3).
Psalm 34:15, “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.”
