What Kind of Help Can We Expect From God?

Psalm 46:1 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

The Bible tells in Psalm 46:1 and again in Psalm 145:18, that God is always present and abundantly available in times of trouble. Matthew 28:20 tells us that Jesus is ALWAYS with us. Those are but a few of the many passages that teach us that God is ever present. They should bring us comfort and peace. Yet, we all experience times when we feel all alone, and that God is not with us. We have all had unanswered prayers in times of great need. So, what can we conclude? What kind of help can we really expect from God?

Perhaps there is a disconnect in our expectations of the kind of help that God provides. We pray for an outcome and expect God to help us in the exact way we prayed for. We know what outcome we want, and if we don’t get it, it’s easy to conclude that it must not have conformed to God’s will and no help will be given. But that isn’t the case. God is ever-present and always answers our pleas for help. It just might not be the way we were expecting. Remember Isaiah 55:8, God’s ways are not our ways.

The answer to the ways God intervenes in our lives is written clearly in one of my all-time favorite verses, Isaiah 40:31. Many of you know this verse by heart yet may not have grasped the full impact of its meaning.

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Let’s dissect this verse, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” The word “wait” in Hebrew is “hope.” Hope is an expectant word. They HOPE that the Lord is present in times of trouble and will be anticipating His help and wait eagerly for it to come.

There are three ways that help will manifest itself:

The first way is shown in the next line of the verse, “They shall mount up with wings as eagles.” This is transformative. It is the way we want EVERY prayer to be answered. This is where God intervenes and changes circumstances, gives us wings, and miraculously we soar above and past our problems. We have all at least heard of stories where cancer suddenly disappears, a check mysteriously arrives, a job opportunity falls into our lap, or a situation we deemed dire suddenly changes. This is glorious, and we thank God profusely for his help.

The second way is less miraculous, “They shall run and not grow weary.” This is where God doesn’t intervene immediately and change circumstances. This is where He gives US the means to change our own circumstance. He gives US the strength to run and not grow weary. He may help by removing an obstacle or two, but He gives us the courage, ability, physical stamina, and willingness to run the race. This way is less glamorous and less desirable. We would much rather mount up with wings as eagles and soar. This way is hard. The road is not easy, but He hold our hands as we run and picks us up when we fall. It’s analogous to the famous footprints story where we thought we were alone, but there were TWO sets of footprints in the sand – one for us and one for the Lord. This is running and not growing weary. We may have felt alone in the journey, but we look back and realize God was with us every step of the way.

The last way is by far least desirable and no fun at all, “They shall walk and not faint.” This is where the problem NEVER gets fixed. There is no happy ending. This is where we simply must endure the pain. He gives US the tools to somehow just survive. It may not be the outcome we want, but we walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and He was with us. It was hard, exhausting, and there are scars to prove it. God did not abandon us, even though it certainly felt like it. I can’t tell you this side of Heaven why God allows certain things to happen. I have my theories. Sometimes I can guess the reasons, some others I simply must accept and endure. I must keep walking and trusting.

God is very present in our lives. He hears the prayers of every righteous believer and with the Holy Spirit living inside us, we can take comfort in knowing He will always help us or at least guide us through any crisis we may face. The help doesn’t always match the way we want, but we shall wait, and HOPE, in the Lord nonetheless.

Prayer:

Father, help us to always see you, not just in times of joy but in times of struggle and heartache as well. Thank you for being very present in our lives. Thank you for the times you rush to our aid to transform our circumstances, and for the times you hold our hand as we run through life’s struggles together, and the times you help us limp along and live through bad times. We know that whatever pain and suffering we may endure now, that one day, we will be free of all burdens and will live with you in Paradise. Help us to always keep our eyes on that ultimate prize.

Thank you, God.

Amen.

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