YOUR HEARTBROKEN CRY

Do you believe God is willing to come quickly to solve your problem? Here is where many Christians fall short. They know God has all they need and they admit he cares. But when he doesn't answer their cry right away, they think of all kinds of reasons why he must not be willing to come to their aid.

On Mount Carmel, Elijah spoke confidently of his God. He taunted the prophets of Baal by accusing their god of child neglect: "[They] called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, ‘O Baal, hear us!’ But there was no voice; no one answered. . . .  And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.’

"So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom . . . until the blood gushed out on them. . . . But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention" (1 Kings 18:26–29).

Hear these words again: "There was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention."

What Elijah described is exactly how we accuse God. We pray, we cry aloud to God, but we go our way, not believing he has heard us. We walk away from the Lord's presence — away from the secret closet of prayer — wondering if he has paid attention to our cries.

The Lord is always ready to hear and answer our cry for help. I love what David said of him: "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. . . . In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me" (Psalm 86:5, 7).

God is waiting for your heartbroken cry, uttered in childlike faith.