Marco! Polo! If you’ve ever played the children’s game of Marco Polo, you know the excitement or anticipation of trying not to be caught while yelling “Polo.” For the person who is “it,” who is Marco, it can be a wearisome task. You have to rely on your senses apart from sight to find the people around you. I don’t know about you, but there have been seasons of my life where it feels as if I’m playing a never-ending game of Marco Polo with God. I call out over and over again, but He doesn’t seem to be answering.
This is also what the psalmist felt as he wrote “My God, I cry out during the day, but you do not answer” (v. 2). In our deepest moments of anguish, despair, and hurt, the one thing we often want is to hear from God.
Why is it that these moments can feel like some of the most quiet? Does God care? Is He listening?
The answer is a resounding yes! God hears all of our prayers. Not only that, but He cares for us and about our prayers. He loves and longs to hear from His children. He is with us through our hardest days.
I also imagine this is what Jesus felt when He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” on the cross (Matt. 27:46). He wanted to hear from His Heavenly Father in His deepest moment of anguish.
As much as we may want to hear from God in a certain way in these moments, the truth is that God isn’t obligated to answer us as we dictate. But, He does answer. It may just not be in the way we want or expect. However He may answer, it is exactly what we need.
It’s in these moments where we’re hoping and waiting for a specific answer that we must fight the temptation to grasp for control.
Later in this psalm, we see the psalmist, David, move from an accusation of God to a declaration of God’s character. He recognizes that God is the source of his strength, which is why he can ask God for help (v. 19).
Many times, when I am struggling, I have a hard time moving my focus away from myself to God. I have to actively inform my head and heart with the truth of Scripture to remind myself that I am not in control and do not need to be. I have a Savior who goes before me and gives me comfort in the hardest moments.
From there, I am able to rightly see who God is, and praise Him through each moment. I must make the caveat that reminding myself of who God is a process.
I would love to tell you that I can speak the truth of Scripture to myself, and everything is perfect. That would not be true, though. Instead, I have to remind myself over and over again.
The good news is that God’s grace is sufficient.
On the days where I am having a hard time leaning in to the truth of gospel, Christ’s love is right there keeping me steady, and the Holy Spirit reminds me of truth.
In this Lenten season, may we take time to stop and pray, pouring out our hurts, frustrations, anxieties, and petitions before our Heavenly Father. As we do that, may we also combine it with a recognition of God’s track record. May the truth of God’s character give us the strength to trust Him through each day.
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