My help comes from the Lord 09 June 2021
Key verse: Psalm 121:2 “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth”
David wrote this Psalm and it is easy to see that God helped him. In fact, there are countless stories in the bible where help came from the Lord, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Nehemiah, Paul and so many others have benefitted from this help. But is that still true today? What does it mean that our help comes from the Lord? How can we be sure that God will help us?
The dictionary defines help in a variety of ways. Here are just a few,
- To give assistance or support to.
- To make more pleasant of bearable, improve, relieve, rescue, save.
- To be of use, benefit; to further the advancement of, promote.
- To change for the better; to refrain from, avoid.
In the various translations of the bible, there are over 250 variations of the word help (helped, helper, helps etc.) to be found. Even more are found when broadening the search using words conveying the idea of help like support, save or rescue. No matter how many times the word help, a variation of it, or a different word to convey the idea is found, it’s important to see that this is something from God, in fact He is the one who initiated help first. And this help coming from the Lord started in the Garden of Eden when God saw a need and supplied it because after God created Adam, he saw that he needed help Genesis 2:18-22, the help that came from the Lord was in removing loneliness by providing a partner. The bible doesn’t say that Adam was lonely, but God saw that he was alone and gave help. Everything God had made He had declared and seeing Adam being alone God remedied by creating Eve. God gave help in the provision of a partner, someone to share life with and God promises help for us today. The bible is full of promises from God to help us. Here are just a few “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” Isaiah 41:10, “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” Psalm 124:8, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” Psalm 46:1, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you” John 14:26 and “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” Hebrews 4:15-16. The promises from God are ours to partake of. And sometimes our help comes from the Lord just out of his goodness like when Adam received Eve.
There are times we need to ask for help and then trust him to provide the answer. Countless biblical characters asked for help but there are two that stand out. Moses, he is known as one who talked with God face-to-face, and David, who is known as a man after God’s own heart. Moses sought the Lord to help the children of Israel throughout their Exodus and a wanderings, an example is Deuteronomy 33:7 asking for help against Israel’s foes. David can be found asking the Lord for help throughout the Psalms an example being Psalm 70:4-5. Jesus himself instructed us to ask and receive help “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” John 14:14 and also in Matthew 7:7-8. Help comes from the Lord it is freely given even in spite of our fears and doubts, we are to ask with an open heart acknowledging our need just like the father of the demon-possessed boy who Jesus helped in Mark 9:24. How much trust we have in God will be evidenced by how much boldness and confidence we have in the help He gives. Listen to what scripture has to say about boldness and confidence when seeking God’s help. When speaking to Moses God says “Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 and David declaring “Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. With the LORD on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me? The LORD is on my side to help me” Psalm 118:5-7 and also with the writer to Hebrews “So we can say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Hebrews 13:6.
God desires that we to trust him completely and the more we trust, the more he is empowered to help us. In other words “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust is a precious commodity and the more we grow with God the closer we get to Him and just as Jesus told us about the mustard seed being so small yet growing into a tree, so it is with trust we start with tiny amounts and like faith trust is something that grows with our relationship with God. When you find your trust is small, then lean into the Lord like the father of the demon-possessed boy, and let God help you by removing the obstacles in your way. Remember help comes from the Lord to all who call on his name in truth, trust and faith.