In My Distress I Called Upon the LORD • Deshen Daily

In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” (Psalm 18:6 KJV)

In my distress I called upon the Lord showing a man praying

Have you faced a heavy burden that words fail to capture its weight? In such trials, we seek strength beyond our own. David, a future king under duress, showed us the strength in revealing our vulnerabilities to God.

Picture David during his flight from King Saul, his Psalm resonating with unwavering faith in the face of imminent danger. Hunted and overwhelmed, he cries out to God for divine intervention—miracles or escapes from life’s storms, echoing Psalm 46:1. It was a time of trouble for David. The New Testament frames these times as “times of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

In his distress, David “called upon the LORD,” a phrase that signifies more than a simple invocation. He earnestly sought God, stepping into the throne room of grace with fervent prayers. David clarifies with, “and cried unto my God,” revealing the depth of his plea. To call upon the Lord during distress is to earnestly seek His presence, to step forth into the throne room of grace with heartfelt prayers and supplications. It’s a conscious decision to respond to our tribulations by reaching out to God, voicing our need for help, and, at times, allowing our tears to express the urgency of our pleas.

When David cried out, the Lord answered. His answer, from His throne of grace, reassures us of His attentiveness: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee” (Jeremiah 33:3, KJV). He invites us to boldly approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find help when we need it most (Hebrews 4:16, KJV). The initiative to seek God is ours; we must ask to receive, seek to find, and knock for the door to be opened.