Psalms 120:1
In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
Truth: God answers us when we are in a tight places.
The Hebrew word for "distress" in the above verse is explained this way in the Vines Dictionary of Biblical Words:
tsarah means “straits” or “distress” in a psychological or spiritual sense, which is its meaning in Gen. 42:21 (the first occurrence): “We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear....”
In the Genesis 42:21 passage the brothers of Joseph are talking about how they should have seen his "distress" when they first put in him a pit and then eventually sold him into slavery. The word conjures up a stressful situation where we have no control and can't escape a certain peril or fear of peril. How the non-believing world operates in such times, I can't understand. Who do they turn to? Who can they cry out to? They can turn to finance, or psychology, or relationships, or chemicals. But none of those things are assured of relief or strength in the midst of the struggle. It is only the God of the universe who can reach down and relieve our distress and find a way of escape for us. Knowing that we have that help at our disposal is the reason believers can sustain a positive and uplifting attitude, despite the circumstances of life. We can call and He will answer. That is all we need to know. The writer is here rejoicing in the fact that God is the God who listens to HIs children and wants to come their aide. He wants to rescue, provide, secure, surround and/or sustain us. Rejoice in the assurance of this verse.
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