Psalm 70:5 Yet I am poor and needy;
come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.

This whole Psalm, though brief, isn’t quite as short as Nehemiah’s “telegram prayer” mentioned in Nehemiah 1:4, but we’ve all been there, needing help and needing it promptly. Just yesterday someone posted on Facebook a picture of a sign that said, “There’s a reason for everything. Sometimes the reason is that you’re stupid and make bad decisions.” That’s all too true! In such cases, God’s reason for allowing it is to help you grow up and make better decisions. That said, God is never mean, and often our greatest need is simple humility, so He allows us to fall flat on our face. That’s a good position for prayer! David had people seeking to kill him many times in his life, and sometimes they were his own children! That came about through his “stupidity and bad decisions” when it came to parenting, but God rescued him anyway. When we come right down to it, God is incredibly patient with us, teaching us the same lessons over and over until we really grasp and apply them. It is entirely appropriate to pray when we are in trouble of any sort, but we need to have teachable hearts, not going through one crisis only to make the same mistakes again.

This certainly applies to me! I have commented many times that if I had been God, I would have squashed me long ago! I have learned, often the hard way, that the time to develop a deep relationship with the Lord is before the crisis hits. Every crisis has indeed deepened my relationship with Him, but it’s the daily listening, with a heart fixed on obedience, that makes the biggest difference. Recently I have had several unexpected opportunities for ministry. If I hadn’t already been “in hearing distance” of the Lord, I wouldn’t have been able to meet those opportunities. It’s a truism, but I don’t know what tomorrow holds, or even today, for that matter. Emergency prayers aren’t bad, but I need to be in constant communication with my Lord and not allow anything to panic me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for getting us through the day yesterday, and that the driving went so smoothly to Sasebo and back, despite the downpour as we were leaving the hospital. Thank You that the nerve block seems to be helping Cathy, and that we were informed of other options besides more metal in her back. Thank You for the surprisingly good report from a friend who has cancer. It’s nice to shock doctors that way! Thank You for the various things You have planned for today. Help us recognize them and flow with Your Spirit, not complaining or getting in Your way but allowing You to use us for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!