Devotion • August 31
Today's Scripture
Psalm 20
The Lord answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion.
May he remember all your offerings, and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices.
May he grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your plans.
May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand.
Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.
They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright.
Give victory to the king, O Lord; answer us when we call. (NRSV)
Reflection
“Answer us when we call.”
I must admit that I am not a big fan of talking on the phone. If an unknown number pops up on my phone, I will assume it is a spam call and will let it go to voicemail: if it’s important, they’ll leave a message and I’ll get back to them.
However, there are a few people whose calls I will always answer — whether it’s an emergency or not — because I treasure hearing their voices. Over the years, I’ve lost those who would always pick up my calls and there have been many times since their deaths that I have wanted to just call and chat with them about nothing in particular. How I wish I could call them in my days of trouble!
I’ve never been the best at praying, and asking for help has never been my strongest suit. But this psalm’s conviction that the Lord will answer us in our days of trouble has reminded me of someone I worked with at a church summer camp.
She shared that part of her faith is that she views praying as similar to having a phone call with God. Just as she could always call her dad whenever she needed something, she knew that prayer is like a phone call with God — a call that God will always pick up, even when we simply need God to listen to us.
The call I have for the Lord may not have the same gravitas as the psalmist’s, but God will always answer us when we call.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for always answering us when we call. Amen.
Written by Katrina Buchanan, Editorial Associate
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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