I Cried to the Lord

Date: July 7, 2023

I use the BLESS method every morning for my devotional. 

B - Bible Verse
L - Listen for God's Word and pray
E - Explore the History and meaning
S - Study the Key Words or Phrases
S - Summarize and Share

You can read more about it by going to: What is a Faith Journal?

B - Bible Verse: "When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place." (Psalm 118:5)

L - Listen for God's Word and pray: "Heavenly Father, as I come before You, open my heart to Your Word and Your voice. Help me to hear Your message for me through this verse. Teach me about the freedom I have in Christ and how Your deliverance brings me into a spacious place. In Jesus' name, amen."

E - Explore the History and Meaning: The book of Psalms is a collection of songs and prayers written by various authors, including King David. Psalm 118 is a hymn of thanksgiving and praise, celebrating God's steadfast love and deliverance.  In this verse, the psalmist reflects on a time of distress or pressure when they cried out to the Lord for help. God heard their cry and responded by bringing them into a spacious place, a place of freedom and relief from their hardships.

S - Study the Key Words or Phrases: 

Hard pressed: It describes the feeling of being squeezed, overwhelmed, or burdened by difficult circumstances or challenges in life.

Cried to the Lord: It emphasizes the psalmist's act of turning to God in prayer, seeking His intervention and deliverance.

Spacious place: It represents a metaphorical space of freedom, safety, and relief that God provides in response to our cries for help.

S - Summarize and Share: 

Have you ever felt trapped, like life's challenges are closing in on you? I know how overwhelming that can be. But guess what? Our scripture today reminds us that when they were hard-pressed, they cried out to the Lord and He brought them into a spacious place.

Isn't that amazing? It's like finding a wide-open space after being stuck in a cramped room. In the same way, when we find ourselves in tough situations or feeling suffocated by life, we can turn to the Lord. We can pour out our hearts to Him, knowing that He hears us and will make a way for us.

Our God is not limited by our circumstances. He has the power to free us from the pressures that weigh us down. When we cry out to Him in prayer, He steps in and leads us to a place of freedom, peace, and relief. It's like taking a deep breath and feeling the weight lifted off our shoulders.

And here's the best part: this spacious place of deliverance is available to us through Jesus Christ. His sacrifice on the cross broke the chains of sin and opened the door to true freedom. When we put our faith in Him, we become partakers of this incredible freedom, no longer bound by our past mistakes or the expectations of others.

So, when life gets tough, remember that you have a loving Heavenly Father who is ready to guide you out of the tight spots. Cry out to Him, lean on His strength, and trust that He will make a way for you. In His presence, you'll find a spacious place where you can breathe, heal, and experience the fullness of His love.

Bible Cross References

Psalm 34:4 - "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."

Isaiah 43:2 - "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

John 8:36 - "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

2 Corinthians 3:17 - "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."