Psalms 81:7 “Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.”
The Psalmist reminded Israel in his day and reminds us in our day, that Israel of old was safe and prosperous because when they were “in trouble”, they called unto God and He “delivered” them from their “trouble”. When they were in severe Egyptian bondage and they called unto God, He “delivered” them. When they were in deadly peril at the Red Sea and they called unto God, He “delivered” them. When they were in miserable thirst in the desert and they called unto God, He “delivered” them. It was the same with Israel during the Period of the Judges, the Kings, the Babylonian Captivity and it is the same with us today. Our Gracious God hears even the, seemingly, smallest and most insignificant precious little souls. When the Lord “was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging” “And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”. And some of the people tried to make him be quiet, as if the Lord didn’t have time for such a poor wretched soul. But the poor blind man “cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me”. “And Jesus” heard him, for He “stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.” The Sovereign Merciful God Heard him cry out in his “trouble” and He “delivered” him. Then the poor wretched man rose up “and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God” (Luke 18:35-43). Our merciful “God” does not always immediately heal us, but He hears us, and He empowers us to endure. He would not remove Paul’s “trouble”, “thorn” but He told him, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9). The Lord’s “grace” was so effectively “sufficient” for him that later on he victoriously proclaimed, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13). Hezekiah “spread” his “trouble” before the Lord and the Lord heard him and “delivered” him and Jerusalem (II Kings 19:14). And, Peter exhorts us to “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (I Peter 5:6-7)! Oftentimes, trouble abounds in our lives, but the same “God” that delivered Israel from their awful troubles, hears us when we cry, and He still delivers!