When we cry out in pain, does God hear us? I think anybody who has suffered, has at some point asked this question. We want to know that God is there, that He is listening to our prayers, and that He cares enough to respond to them. If He doesn’t respond right away, is He still listening? We need to know that He cares about the evil and the suffering that has happened, and continues to happen, in our lives and in the lives of others we know.

These questions have been in my heart, testing my faith, for the last few years. At times I feel distant from God, but it is this very same issue that draws me closer, searching for answers.

Genesis 18:20-21 (NIV) reminds us, “Then the Lord said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.’”

God heard the cries of the victims who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. Their prayers of petition came through loud and clear with an intensity that tugged on God’s heart and drew Him into action.

The same scripture is translated in The Message: “God continued, ‘The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense. I’m going down to see for myself, see if what they’re doing is as bad as it sounds. Then I’ll know.’”

“The outcry…is so great…The cries of the victims…are deafening.”

I wonder how big God’s ears are and what kind of noise it would take to get His attention, let alone to be deafening. Since God is bigger than the universe, His ears must be humongous. God’s ears are so big that He hears the faintest cries, even the cries that stay hidden in our hearts for years.

He does hear us. He has heard my cry and yours. He knows the harm done to us, and He will take action on our behalf.

~ written by a GateWay woman