Do you need help today?
Are you
discouraged?
Is your marriage
on shaky ground?
Do you have
children that are rebellious?
Are your finances
a mess?
Are you lonely?
Do have a big
decision to make?
Is your life
chaotic?
Are you afraid?
Is life not what
you thought it was going to be like in this season?
Are you facing
illness?
Is suffering in
your life?
Is your heart
broken because of loss?
We all face the
questions like the ones on the above list. Many of us can say an
affirmative, YES, to one or more of the questions. The Lord in His
faithfulness brought a familiar scripture to my mind this morning as I was
crying out for help.
Psalm 46:1-2
"God is
our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we
will not fear though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip
into the heart of the sea..."
Our God who spoke
the world into existence, who authored salvation and a way for man to be
redeemed, and who is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, this same God says He
will be my help in the time of my need. This beautiful scripture is not
referring to just any kind of help; no this is God size help. It could read
God, our Refuge and Strength, is abundantly available for help in tight places,
or places of trouble, or when the time arises and I find myself in need!
Often when I find
myself in one of those "tight places", it is because I have not
looked to Him as my refuge, but tried to provide my own covering. My own
strength and desire to fix it has stepped in, instead of me relying on His
strength. And, instead of crying out for His help, I have gone my own way
seeking out another form of help or relief.
Later in chapter
46 of Psalms, we see another very familiar verse. One that I fear many of
us have decorating the walls of our home, but quite possibly don't have hanging
in our hearts.
Psalm 46:10
"Be still
and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted
in the earth"
The key to
reaching to Him as my help, to taking refuge in Him alone, and exchanging my
strength for His, is to learn to be still and to place Him in His rightful
place. To know He is God is much more than a mental assent to truth, it
is to live as one who is under authority. This truth dislodges the lie
that we are in charge, that we can fix it, or that we have the strength to
change something. He will be exalted above all. The question is; is He
exalted above me? Is He exalted to His rightful place in my life?
Not sure what you
are facing today, but He does. Would you hold that thing, that question,
that hurt, that impossible situation, out to Him with palms open and facing
upward? Will you get still before Him? Will you cry out to your
Refuge, your Strength, and your Help, and place Him where He rightly belongs?
Oh, Lord dislodge
me from the place of authority in my life. You are God, and there is no
one besides You. Forgive me for thinking that I'm in charge. Lord,
I need Your help and I need You to show Yourself mighty over my heart, life,
and the situations that are such a struggle for me.
I am praying for
many that are facing great trials, big decisions, and heartbreaking situations
right now. Sometimes we just need to know that someone else knows and is
praying.
Still learning to
abide,
Kim
