Gospel Reflections #1066: A Time of Grace

Psalm 86:7 ‘When trouble comes, if I call upon you, you will surely answer me.’

This scripture expresses absolute trust and certainty that God will surely answer our prayers, even in the midst of suffering.

In the Bible, ‘calling out’ does not simply mean wishing for something in one’s heart, but refers to earnest prayer—crying out aloud or clinging to God with one’s very life.

David does not hide his weakness or suffering, but presents them as they are before God.

The crux of this scripture lies not in a sliver of hope that ‘You might answer me’, but in the certainty expressed in the perfect tense: ‘for You will answer me’.

This is based on a firm trust born of David’s repeated experiences of God’s salvation and mercy throughout his life.

In verse 5, immediately preceding this, he sings: ‘O Lord, You are gracious and forgiving.’

The reason David can pray with such conviction on days of distress is that he knows God is One who listens even to those unworthy of His hearing and pours out His abundant mercy upon them.

For us, too, the trials and troubles of life—those ‘days of distress’—are not days when we are forsaken by God; rather, they are transformed into opportunities to be led into deep fellowship with Him and to experience His tangible help.

No matter how hopeless a situation may seem, God is not one who remains silent.

We are taught to cling to the promise that ‘He will surely answer’ and to entrust everything to Him with peace of mind.

Though suffering may seem to us to be nothing but pain, I feel that it is only in the midst of suffering that we truly seek God and are able to encounter Him.

Adversity may appear as suffering to our eyes, but in God’s eyes, it is the only time of grace in which we come to know Him and turn our hearts towards Him.

Whether adversity becomes a time of grace or a time of suffering depends on how we perceive God.

God is the One who holds an unchanging desire to save us from beginning to end.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.