Psalm 22:22-24 I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear (reverence) the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear (stand in awe of) Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised (seen as worthless) nor abhorred (counted filthy) the affliction (cry) of the afflicted (needy, poor, weak); Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard (listened with attention or interest, granted the request).

Often I become lost in one of my biggest weaknesses: anxiety. When I’m in that place, the Lord seems so far away. I love this Psalm, because we see the Lord’s heart and character toward us when we are weak. He doesn’t look down on us with disgust. He doesn’t turn away and ignore us. This Psalm says He listens attentively to our cries, and he grants our requests.

The best thing to do is praise Him when we are weak. Remember His character and kindness toward us. Say out loud so your ears hear your mouth that He is kind and faithful, attentive to our cries. He is the God of the impossible, so we choose to praise Him when our circumstances look bleak. When we praise Him, we find ourselves in awe of His goodness. He is faithful to do what He promised.

When I quit my job after Ben was born in May 2018, our finances took a huge hit. I didn’t understand. The Lord, in a miraculous way, communicated to us that I was to quit, or else I never would have stopped. Our finances still suffered for 19 months. During that time, the anxiety’s weight often immobilized me. I would pull myself up and dance around my living room, singing praises to God, filling my mouth with His promises of provision. January 2020 was the first month we’ve had extra, glory to God! I know many of us are now facing shortages with mandatory quarantine orders. Remember, the Lord is our provider, not our jobs or our bosses (Psalm 23:1).

As we move on from our state of denial, shock and acceptance of our current circumstances, it’s time to turn to Him with praise. He hears us. He moves on our behalf. He has granted our requests. So dance and sing like David in the middle of your living room, in your front yard, in your backyard. He is King of kings. He is Lord of lords. He is the God who hears us and loves us. He will not let us be ashamed for trusting in Him (Psalm 22:5). So dance and shout children of the Most High for He has granted us the victory.