Have you actually asked for God's help?
“So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”” (Hebrews 13:6, NIV)
Of the days of creation, Genesis 2 explains how God created Adam. However, after creation, God saw that Adam was lonely. So, God exclaimed that He would “make a helper” fit for Adam (Genesis 2:18). For this reason, God created Eve. Eve was to be a helpmate for Adam, a support, an encourager, and someone to take away his loneliness. God did this out of love for Adam. Though God was always a helper for Adam, Eve could be a human representation of God’s presence.
In the scripture for today, written above, the author of Hebrews notes how God is a “helper” for those who believe. God does not leave us alone. God is present and active in our lives. Like Eve was a human “helper” for Adam, God is a divine “helper” for all those who call upon His name (in fact, the same Greek word is used in both scriptures for “helper”!). As your divine “helper”, God protects and nurtures you. There is no need to “be afraid” (Hebrews 13:6b). As a spouse is meant to be a soulmate, God is always the soulmate to the true believer. God is always at your side, supporting you.
Though God intended to be a helper to all the faithful, many do not call upon Him when help is needed. Too many Christians try to tackle every obstacle in life without seeking God’s presence and strength and help. They go at it alone. They use their own might instead of God’s power. They rely on their own reason instead of the Holy Spirit’s insight. They don’t pray until overwhelmed or stymied or at a loss about what to do in a difficult situation. God never intended for you to go through life without leaning on His everlasting arms!
The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, wrote the following words while contemplating Hebrews 13:6:
“The God of the past has blotted out your sins (Acts 3:19). The God of the present makes all things work together for your good (Rom. 8:28). The God of the future will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5). In God you are prepared for every emergency.
There is no point in having a God if you do not use Him, and yet many professing Christians would never dream of going to God for practical help. I believe that it is as well to have no God as to have an unreal God, one who cannot be found in the midnight of need. What a blessing to be able to go to God and pour out our hearts. God will be our Helper (Ps. 54:4), a near and dear Friend in joy and sorrow.
Dear friend, are you in trouble? Do you have a God? Then pray and spread your trial before Him. Do you have a troublesome letter in your house (2 Kin. 19:10–13)? Then go, like Hezekiah, and tell the Lord (2 Kin. 19:14). Is your child dying? Then cry to the Lord as David did (2 Sam. 12:16). Are you as low as Jonah? Then let your prayer rise from the bottom (Jon. 2:1). Are you bitter? Pour it out before the Lord.
Make good use of your God. Gain full advantage by pleading with Him. Tell Him your troubles. Search His promises, and then petition Him with holy boldness, for this is the surest and the fastest way to find relief.
What would we do if we could not speak with God, our ever–gracious Friend? We would die of a broken heart. Like Job, we would curse the day of our birth. We would wish that we had never been born (Job 3:3) and look forward to annihilation. But praise God, we can go to Him by faith and plead His promise. Then, the dark clouds will withdraw…” (p. 323, Beside Still Waters)
Like me, Spurgeon was convinced that “the dark clouds will withdraw” when a person leans upon the strength of God. When drawing upon divine help, the soul is encouraged. Hope grows. Peace settles upon the soul. So, why is it that people don’t seek God’s help more often?
After his toy broke, the young child sought to repair it. The wheel had come off his favorite car. Try as he might, the boy struggled to replace the wheel. The axle and wheel had separated because the axle was worn from use. Each time the young boy tried to put the wheel back on, within seconds, it would inevitably fall off. Growing frustrated, the boy tried over and over to fix the problem. His father saw the boy’s frustration growing within and said, “Hand the car to me and I’ll fix it for you.”
The boy responded immediately, “No, I fix it myself!”
After many more attempts, the young boy was moved to tears. He came to the realization that the car was forever broken. But it was his favorite car! As tears began to flow, the father said again, “Hand the car to me and let me fix it.” Giving up hope at a repair, the boy handed his father the car. The father went down to his workshop and reformed the axle so that the wheel would no longer fall off. Then, he brought the car back to his son and gave it to him. The boy was overjoyed, loving his father’s saving grace!
I take away from this true story two major things. The first relates to the boy’s response to his father’s offer for help; “No, I do it myself!”. So often, we say this very same thing to our Heavenly Father. Though God is offering help, we don’t want it! We push away God until we have exhausted all hope to “do it ourselves”. God is there to help but we are not willing to accept God’s help. Some people don’t want forgiveness. Some won’t accept God’s grace. Some don’t want to obey God’s voice. They fight God’s help all the way. Why? Simply, most people are prideful and obstinate. Is it any surprise that scripture speaks of the “hard headedness” of humankind? The second thing I take away from this true story is that the father’s help brought great joy to the son. So, why did the son keep the father away for so long? Sometimes, people don’t experience joy because they keep God at arm’s length. They push God away. They refuse God’s grace. Is it any wonder so many people, even Christians, are miserable these days!
God is your helper, lean on Him. Don’t wait until the last minute to call upon His name and seek His strength. God is your helper, listen to Him. Let the Holy Spirit guide you. Don’t fight what you know is right down deep in that soul of yours! God is your helper, trust Him! Maybe what is stopping your joy lately is your inability to trust that God has the answer to your problems!