It was the middle of the night.
Our girls were very young. We lived in North Alabama. One of them was crying. She wasn’t feeling well and she cried out. Charlotte heard the cry first and within moments, she got up and made her way down the hall to our little girl’s room. A few minutes later, I went to her room as well. Charlotte held our sweet daughter close and began to rock her.
- No one ignored her cries.
- No one screamed at her for crying.
- No one was rough with this little girl.
Why did her mother get out of bed?
Why did her father get out of bed?
Mom and dad get out of bed because this is what parents do! The cry of their children is more important than their sleep, their comfort, and their preference. Yes, they work the next day. Yes, they might be tired. However, when mom or dad hears the cry of a sick child, all of that is pushed aside. What matters is their little child.
Parents who serve, who give, and who sacrifice are more concerned with their children than themselves. This is who they are.
When God hears you, as his child, cry out to him, he listens. Your cries do not get old. He doesn’t snap at you. He isn’t rough with you. He doesn’t ignore your cries. Rather, like a loving mother and father, he leans in to hear you.
Why does God hear our cries? Why does he turn his head and lean in when we pray to him?
God hears our cries because this is who he is. This is his nature.
“Hear my prayer, Lord, listen to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. I dwell with you as a foreigner, a stranger, as all my ancestors were.” (Psalm 39:12)
Have you cried out to God in the middle of the night? In the middle of the night, I’ve prayed for our children. In the middle of the night, I’ve cried out to God about a seemingly impossible problem at church. In the middle of the night, I’ve cried out to God during times of my own discouragement.
God will hear your cry, even in the middle of the night.