Within Shouting Distance

We

Why are you shouting?

“Within shouting distance” = close by, near. “Within shouting distance of parent’s house”.

Idea = went outside and shouted to them, they would hear you.

Guinness World Record - normal outdoor range of man’s voice = 590ft 6.6in. But recorded case, under optimal conditions of human voice detected at 10.5m across still water at night.

Do you ever shout at someone because they’re hard of hearing? Do you ever shout at God? Is that to release frustration or is it because you think he’s hard of hearing/not listening?

Listen to psalmist as he cries out to God this morning:

God

Psalm 130:1-8, p.624

Psalm 130:1–8 NLT

1 From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. 2 Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. 3 Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? 4 But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. 5 I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. 6 I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. 8 He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.

Out of the depths I cry to you

Psalm 130:1–2 NLT

From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer.

Psalmist calls from a particular place: out of the depths.

Indicates distress, chaos, a watery abyss from which there appears to be no escape.

Some of us in that place right now.

Most of the time the watery depths are under control, but every now and then they splash over into our lives and threaten to undo all God has established.

This year I’ve shared with people: overwhelmed by sorrow / overcome with grief at the loss of a loved one / struck down by illness / waiting for doctor’s report:

What each of these common expressions share is an intimation of the gravity of mortality. Even the “little deaths” of disappointment, the temporary inconveniences of sickness, or the strain of difficult relationships can steal the life from life. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice.” (T.E. McGrath)

God hears and listens to us

1 John 5:14 NLT

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

Bible tells us whether we are in the depths today or not, God hears us.

Whether we are in shouting distance or not.

God hears even our inaudible pleas.

Even when we are silent, when we cannot pray, he knows the depths of our hearts and what we know we really need but can’t articulate.

There is no place we can be where God cannot hear us.

But sometimes, if we’re honest, our experience of God is like the pray-ers in Bruce Almighty.

Offered divine powers by God to see if he can do a better job as he claims.

At this point in the film, he’s started to hear the voices in his head - the voices of thousands of people praying to him. Asking him to be attentive to their prayers.

Let’s see how he decides to deal with them:

Video: Bruce Almighty - Yes to Prayers | 2:00

Bruce wasn’t really listening and the film shows the consequences behind setting an auto response of yes to every prayer.

But sometimes we can feel like God isn’t really listening. Like he’s put his Out of Office on and our prayers aren’t getting through.

You

Wait and Hope

Psalm 130:5 NLT

I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.

It’s at this point you might expect me to accentuate the positive.

You may have had a hard week and come to worship to be lifted up.

It’s almost as if don’t worry, be happy has suddenly become a Christian mantra.

But pain lurks in the background of even the happiest life and the psalmist never shies away from that.

The difficulties and frustrations of life are all there to see.

Sometimes in our lives we cry out from the depths.

Sometimes, we are forced to wait.

How do we wait?

Confidently? Expectantly? Impatiently?

And yet, there is hope in the psalmist’s voice that can help us today.

Why?

Because the psalmist does not simply cry out from the depths.

He cries out to God from the depths.

In the midst of his pain, in the middle of all the chaos around him, he addresses God.

It’s the cry of profound faith.

At a time when all evidence seems to be contrary, the psalmist expresses the faith that God is present, that God hears, and that God is willing and able to act.

As long as we can cry out to God, hope remains.

He is always within shouting distance.

The overall testimony of Scripture is that God is never far away from any of us.

God is listening right now.

Right now is the right time to call on him.

So use these next few moments to speak to him.

Next Steps

God Hears Our Prayers

When you think your prayers aren’t going through Please know that God still hears you When it seems as if your words do not rise Please know they go beyond the sky

When you think God has closed his ears Your prayers are heard for he still hears Even when the words don’t come God will hear and always give you some

God, receive my prayers into your hands – every word And, God, take my prayers and let me know that I am heard God hears my prayers

When it seems as if an answer is not given The answer is known in heaven When it hurts too much to speak God will strengthen the tongue that’s weak

When praying seems too hard Just be still and know that he is God It’s enough to feel him near It’s enough to wipe away your tears

When the clouds form And you’re in the storm And you’re in the darkest night When your heart breaks And your world shakes And your God is not in sight

God, receives your prayers into his hands – every word And God takes your prayers and lets you know that you are heard God hears your prayers