Do I Have to Scream?

Today we have a guest post, courtesy of Krista's younger sister Sam.  Thank you Sam for submitting this excellent article!  

  It was one of those awful days. Where the weather was cold, my future looked bleak, work had been full of screaming kids, and on top of all that I felt like I had no spiritual life whatsoever. For weeks on end, I hadn’t gotten anything out of my daily devotional, and I had no urge to read my Bible. I was tired of the “monotony” of my life, and tired of feeling so “blah”. So that night I had a good, long cry, but inside I was screaming.

The next morning, I went down to the basement to ride the exercise bike, still tired and grouchy. I turned on my ipod, shuffled through the songs, and clicked on the playlist that came from a mix cd Dad had just burned for me. It was a mix of his favorite Christian songs. When track number four came on, the lyrics immediately caught my attention. 


Does anybody know how I feel?

Sometimes I’m numb, sometimes I’m overcome

Does anybody care what’s going on?

Do I have to wear my scars like a badge on my arm

For you to see me, I need release


Do I have to scream for you to hear me?

Do I have to bleed for you to see me?

‘Cause I grieve, you’re not listening to me

Do I need to scream?


ZoeGirl’s song, “Scream”, said exactly what I had felt. I had screamed inwardly out to God, questioning His very existence. Questioning why He wasn’t near. I questioned, “Do I have to scream for God to hear me?”


Throughout the Psalms you can see the authors repeatedly crying out to God…in other words, screaming out to Him in their own way.

“How long, O Lord? Wilt Thou forget me forever? How long will Thou hide Thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day…” (Psalm 13:1&2)


“My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? For from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but Thou does not answer; and by night, but I have no rest.” (Psalm 22:1&2)


Do I have to scream for God to hear me? I read the answer to my question in His Word over and over:


“For I hope in Thee, O Lord; Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.” (Psalm 38:15)


“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)


And in very plain words, God spoke the following words to Joshua:

“No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” (Josh. 1:5)


I took those words to heart. “…I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.”

Right there, it says plainly that God will not forsake me. He will be with me.

I look at my past prayers, and see how many of them have been answered! How can I believe He doesn’t listen when He has proven to me time over time again that He does?

I know there will be many more times when I’ll feel that He isn’t there, but I know He has not forsaken me. As a daughter of the King, He hears me and will never forsake me. It is a very comforting thought, and so proves that I do not have to scream out for Him to hear me. He hears me every time I breathe a word. 


I’ve been marked, set apart

But I’m cut so deep and afraid of the dark

One drop of blood from the hole in Your hand

Is enough to heal me and make me stand


‘Cause I’m clean, He is listening to me


I don’t have to scream for Him to hear me

Don’t have to bleed for Him to see me

‘Cause I’m clean, He is listening to me

I don’t have to scream

I don’t have to bleed

‘Cause I’m clean, He is listening

And I don’t have to scream
-Sam Skinner