Help in Times of Trouble

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

-Psalm 46:1

We are to look to God for our strength.  He is to serve as our supplier.  He is to provide us all that we need, especially when we find ourselves in the midst of trouble.  Finding ourselves in such deplorable conditions and circumstances, we should look with hope to the Lord.  We should earnestly seek Him in such times as these, hoping for the best from the Lord.

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. - Psalm 9:9

You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge. - Psalm 14:6

Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. - Psalm 31:4

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. - Psalm 62:7

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. - Psalm 62:8

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. - Psalm 145:18

God can step in and stand in for us.  He did it at Calvary at our greatest point of need.  The sin that could not be taken away by any work on our part was cast away on the cross.  The bounty due for the countless transgressions against God were far outweighing any offerings placed upon the altar of sacrifice, but the Lord provided Himself an offering in our stead.  He provided the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the earth.

We were troubled and God made His very presence known among us.  He took the form of man.  He became less to do more, never losing His deity but refraining from resisting the fulfilment of prophecy.  As the God-man, the Lord offered us help when we most needed it.  He continues to do so now, even with His blood continually covering us.

True Help from Heaven

Don't put your trust in mere humans.
They are as frail as breath. What good are they?
- Isaiah 2:22 (NLT)


God questions man's trust in man rather God Almighty.  He shares man's futility and questions why anyone would seek to put his or her trust in another person, especially when God is seeking you out.  He wanted to rectify His relationship with His chosen people.

God had already called Israel out for its rebellion and idolatry.  He was sickened by their sacrifices.  He was not impressed by their rituals.  Nothing could overshadow their sins against God.

We need to see where our real help comes from in this life.  We can see people.  They are visible, but we need to answer whether or not such people are truly vital to your existence.

God is our true help.  He is in heaven, but He desires to be near to us.  He wants a deep relationship with us.  He is our true heavenly help.  His desire is for us to be better and that means better off with Him.

Don't rely upon man.  Go to God.  God will send those who can help your way based upon His Holy Spirit's urging.  It starts with you and God.

Perfection Personified

The angel then assured her that she had found favour with God, and would become the mother of a son whose name she should call Jesus, the Son of the Highest, one in a nature and perfection with the Lord God. - Matthew Henry's Commentary (Luke 1:26-38)

Jesus Christ is the personification of perfection.

Jesus was Promised: He was the child of promise. (2 Samuel 7:16; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23)

Jesus was Presented: He was presented in the Jewish custom. (Luke 2:21-23, 39)

Jesus was Persecuted: He was the Lamb of God as John the Baptist called Him (John 1:29).  He was slain for our sins, our transgressions and our iniquities according to Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 53).

Yet, without His perfection, He could have never stood in our stead and taken on our sin upon the cross.  He was, as Peter stated, a lamb without spot or blemish.  He epitomizes perfection.  He embodies perfection.  He exemplifies perfection.  He is perfect, and we are challenged to become perfect like Him.

We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. - Colossians 1:28 (NIV)

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: - Ephesians 4:13 (KJV)

 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death - Philippians 3:10 (NIV)

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. - Hebrews 5:14 (NIV)

From Eden to Egypt Day 39

...But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” - Genesis 32:26 (NIV)

Jacob was on his way to face his brother.  He had ran away from Laban.  He was on his way to face the brother who sought his life.  He had sent everyone else ahead of him to his brother Esau.  Now, he sat alone and awaiting the coming confrontation.

Jacob didn't expect the man to appear.  Yet, he knew that this man was different.  He wrestled with the man all night.  His words showed his will to fight to the very end.   I will not let you go unless you bless me.  Those were the words of Jacob as he fought earnestly with the man throughout the night.  He held on, refusing to be overpowered by the man.


Jacob was never the same after that night.  He was permanently injured (v. 25).  He was no longer to be called Jacob again.  Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel.    He was left changed in many ways.  He had wrestled with God face to face.  He had held his own with God.  He struggled with the Almighty and survived.  Even the place was changed.  He called it Peniel because he had seen God face to face and his life was spared.

Imagine being in Jacob's lonely condition.  Imagine finding yourself wrapped in a struggle with God.  That's the spiritual condition of many.  many do not have that strong bond with God, but He is near.  They grapple with the Lord, seeking their own will and not His will.  In the end, after toiling with all of their might, God can still change them.  God can make them different.  It is the powerful work of the Holy Spirit that wins us over and captivates our souls.  In the end, God prevails and overcomies our frail spirits.

A Memorial for You

“. . . And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”
Joshua 4:7 NKJV

The children of Israel needed these stones. They didn't need them erected as an idol. They needed these stones to serve as a reminder, a memorial of what God had done on their behalf. These stones would not simply serve as a conversation piece. Joshua shared: They will be a sign among you. In the future your children will ask you, 'What do these rocks mean?' These stones would allow the children of Israel to share their testimony with their children and their children's children.

It’s one thing to have testimony, but many of us need to have lives that serve as a voiceless testimony of God’s goodness to us. People need to see God in our lives as much as they hear about Him from us. We need to demonstrate and display the change that God has made in our lives. People will see it. Although they may not recognize it, they will see it as something different that sets us apart from others.

Proverbs warns us not to remove the landmark set in place by our forefathers. In Proverbs 22:28, the Word teaches that the landmark was set in place for a reason that was given to those who came before us. Let us learn about that reason before we set our hearts and minds on removing it. In Proverbs 23:10, greed is addressed by warning people not to remove the 'ancient landmark' or oppress the poor by taking their land. Our obsession with accumulation may make us oblivious to the way we treat others, even our ancestors and their legacy.

With a lifestyle that respects the past, people will see us as blessed and ask what does it mean and how did we arrive at such a place in this life. We will be able to share about His goodness and His mercy towards us. God wants to work through us to reach others. Let the ancient landmark serve as a reminder to us that our lives our on display before the entire world. Keep it as a memorial.

Discover Your Destiny

Believe it or not, Moses would be a pretty tough act to follow as a spiritual leader. He had seen God face to face and spent many days doing one-on-one meetings with God on Mount Sinai. Yet, Joshua was told to be both strong and courageous regarding leading the people of God into the Promised Land. He assured that the Lord was with him. Many of today's leaders may not hear God's audible voice in the same way Joshua heard it, but they need to hear from God. They need God's assurance to lead God's people into new territory. There's little to no movement because there's hardly any confirmation based upon limited communication and communion with God. When you have people trying to speak things into existence and determine their own destinies, there's not much room left to hear from God. Maybe we should hear from the psalmist's words first that simply said: "Be still and know that I am God. . ." (Psalm 46:10). Discover your destiny but learning to hear from the Divine.
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John 15:11 speaks of your joy being "full." You need to know that Christ's joy is to be present within you. It should be within you and maintained at a "full" level. Imagine what life would be like if you livedwith your joy on full daily. That totally change your outlook on every single day as you operated on full joy.

Delivered, Not Destroyed

John 3:16 says a whole lot. I mean really read it to yourself. Take it all in. Letthe words saturate into your soul.
God did something out of love.
No, let me back up.
God did something for us, who surely did not deserve it, out His love for us. He got the ball rolling for us to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, His only begotten son, that we might have eternal life and not perish based upon our belief in Him.
Wow! He has the power to destroy us for our sins. You know, those thoughts that creep in when you let your mind wander. He can call us on our thoughts, words and actions. Pick any of those and you can see that we are sinful. We might control our actions, but watch those words. And, Lord, have mercy about the way we have let our minds wander into different areas. Truthfully, we needed Jesus to do what He did on Calvary for us.
Look at John 3:16. Look at what love will really cause someone to do for someone else. The word is sacrifice. What he sacrificed for us cannot be repaid with anything we have or that we can gain.
Hold on to the words that you read in John 3:16.