READ:
Psalm 34:6
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
EXHORTATION:
David refers to himself as a “poor man.” He also indicates that he was a troubled man. Certainly, he was feeling helpless altogether. So he cried unto the Lord. We see him here as a mournful man before the Lord. How miserable it must have been for David to feel like a distressed, despondent derelict!
He could only “cry”! The Hebrew word for “cry” (qaraʾ) is a very common word in the Old Testament which denotes a loud, intense shout. In great pain a man will cry out, he cannot help it. Many such cries of people are recorded in the Bible. For instance, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David” (Matt. 20:30); "Lord, save me" (Matt. 14:30); "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13 ); "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom" (Luke 23:42). Many such sudden, earnest, irrepressible cries unto God became prevailing prayers.
A cry would not be worded in eloquent, impressive language. It would not even sound soothing like a song. The cry of a man in great distress would be very disturbing to the hearer. It would rattle our hearts, and grieve our minds. It ventilates the pain felt deep within the soul. It cannot wait. It pleads its case at once; it never puts off its request for another second. It calls out, “O Lord, help me, O deliver me from my troubles! I cannot bear them any longer.”
David testifies to us that “the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles”. He who prayed was poor and helpless, but he prayed to the One who is rich in mercy and fully able to aid those who trust Him. David has already testified how God answered his cry in the preceding verses. “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed” (Psalms 34:4-5). What great testimony does David bear to the blessing of prayer! He attributed his preservation and deliverance to his prayer, for he said, "and the Lord heard him." It gave him access to divine help in his misery. Prayer was an effectual means of help for David testifies that "And (the LORD) saved him out of all his trouble." Like David, may we also tell of His blessings we received through our prayers, and thus magnify Him before others!