Cry to the LORD Who Hears

Psalm 6:4

Turn back, YHWH, deliver/draw out my soul,
save me for the sake of your steadfast love.

Have you ever felt so helpless that you cannot do anything but cry? Crying could be due to a physical response like cutting onions, or certain emotions evoked through a touching film. But most of the time, we cry because we are stressed, or we experience pain, pleasure, sadness, anger, or suffering.

In Psalm 6, David cries out to God the Father in an earnest, bone-shaking manner that reflected his brokenness and helplessness. Seeking God for healing and mercy, he pleads for God to turn back to him. In v. 4 he writes, “Turn back, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your steadfast love.”

The idea of asking someone else to “turn back” means that the person was originally there. Here in this case, it is a cry of someone who had experienced God’s steadfast love before. The cry to turn means that God is the active party who is to respond and return to the psalmist.

Being a father made me sensitive to my new-born son’s wordless cries. When my son cries helplessly from his cot, I cannot help but turn and attend to him. His different cries hint to me his differing needs, be it of hunger, discomfort, or simply attention and affection. All he can do is cry, but that is all that is needed for me to turn to him.

How much more God the perfect father will turn to us when we cry to him. Often we forget this truth and seek to act on our own in our daily struggles and problems. Perhaps you are overwhelmed by your studies or ministry, or the demands of your family are weighing down on you. Some of you may already be at the end of your rope.

Remember that in our times of need, like a helpless baby, we can cry out to our Father God who will take the initiative to turn to us. All it takes is a cry.

Caleb Chua (MDiv 2)