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“But I call to God, and the Lord will save me.” - Psalm 55:16

We come now to a turning point in our journey through Psalm 55. We have joined David in acknowledging the many burdens, great or small, which trouble our days and haunt our nights. Through them all, we are invited continually to cast our burdens upon the Lord. Now, we will explore the process, the very act of casting our burdens in greater depth. How do we “cast our burdens?” It begins here… “I call to God.”

When a crime takes place, an accident occurs or a dangerous fire is set ablaze, we are well familiar with the number we should call - 911. A call to 911 will put us in touch with a dispatcher who will hear our problem and send the appropriate response to come to our aid. It is important that we dial the right number, because a call to our local library when our house is burning down will not provide us with the help we desperately need. David understood that he needed the Lord on speed dial, for He alone is our source of help and hope.

When hardship and heartache come crashing in, is the Lord the first person you call? Are you more likely to “vent” to a friend or pray to the Lord when someone disappoints or discourages you? Are you more likely to turn to a bottle or turn to the Lord when life’s troubles bear down on you? Are you more likely to binge your favorite series or feast on your favorite scriptures when you feel overwhelmed? Honestly, pause and reflect for a moment… are you regularly calling on God first, or has He become a last resort?

Jesus told His disciples something we know all too well… “Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34)."  There is no need to worry about tomorrows trouble, today’s docket is already full. For this reason, Paul gives us this straightforward command - “Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)." Call to God and call often. If we are walking and talking with God throughout our day in real time, there is no need to bring God up to speed with our situation. When trouble arises, God is on it, because we are in constant contact with Him.

A fool criticizes the police or the fire department for not coming to their rescue when they failed to call 911. Similarly, if we do not call on God in our moments of need, how foolish it would be to blame Him for our circumstances. Call on God… He will always pick up.