And in the time of their suffering,

         they cried out to You,

and You heard them from heaven,

and according to

              Your great mercies,

You gave them saviors

   who saved them

   from the hand of their enemies.

                        Nehemiah 9. 27

(In Scripture, our enemies or foes

    are anything we fear,

               both real and imagined.

The key to this passage

   is not that God hears us

              or does something about it,

    but that we cry out to Him.

Not grumbling,

not moaning or complaining,

not just crying for relief,

    but crying out to God.

God surrounds us with deliverance

   in many unexpected

   and unexplainable ways.

His response is not always

               an exit door,

but the wisdom to navigate,

    the strength to endure,

and awareness of His Presence.)

 

O LORD,

May we recognize Your hand upon us,

        not ignore You

              or explain You away.

Cover us with Your great mercies

      and Your great goodness,

      even in what we cannot yet see.

Help us to cry out to You

    and not just complain.

Show us Your way

        in what faces us today.

Help us to seek Your face

    and to walk with You.

You are faithful, O LORD.

Guide us,

     not just through this,

     but toward You.