Help Comes Only Comes When We Need It

Jack Sprinkle 2/22/09

Help Comes Only When We Need It

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

If there is not a need can God help us? Why do things come our way? It makes God happy to help us.  He knows our fears; he knows what we don’t understand. It doesn’t bother God for us to wonder. It seems he comes barely in time.

More that likely Moses would have been the next Pharaoh. When he saw the Egyptian beating the Israelite and killed him, why didn’t he go to the Pharaoh and tell him what happened. It would have been over with.  He ran. It was God who sent him to the desert. He needed to be educated to serve the Lord. He was to be trained to the one of the greatest leaders in the Old Testament.

He became a shepherd and was one for 40 years. All the time God’s people cried out to the Lord. God spoke to Moses. When he turned around he saw a burning bush that wasn’t consumed.  Moses came back to the bush to find himself on holy ground. Israel couldn’t get of their slavery on their own. Why didn’t God do this sooner? It just wasn’t time yet. Moses needed to be in the position to deliver them. Moses made excuses. God turned his staff into a snake. The snake was no trouble until God told him to pick it back up. Moses’ fear was not subsided until God turned it back to a stick-just in time.

Pharaoh turned down Moses’ request to let Israel nine times. They finally leave and what happens?  There was trouble at the Red Sea. What were they to do?  If they could have crossed by themselves they would not have known what God can do. God came through just in time to deliver them from the Egyptian army.

At another time, the disciples were in trouble on the sea. They were right in the middle of a bad storm. Jesus had told them to get in the boat and go to the other side.  We should do what God tells us despite the obstacles. Jesus didn’t tell them to try to get to the other side. Don’t wait. Go.  The storm got worse. They thought they would drown. They looked over the water and saw a man walking on the water. When they thought it was Jesus, Peter told him that if he was really Jesus to ask him to come out of the boat to him. To his surprise Jesus told him to come.  Trouble-Peter was in trouble. He stepped out. When Peter began to sink he asked the Lord to save him. It was no trouble for the Lord to bring Peter out of his trouble-just in time. Immediately the storm was over. Jesus solved the problem.

Daniel was in deep trouble when he was in a den of lions. God came through. The widow of Nain mourned for her son. Who would care for her now?  Jesus was close enough to hear what her heart was saying. He took care of her trouble and raised her son from the dead.

God is still God. Whatever is around us, whatever troubles us, God comes through.  Don’t give up. Don’t slack off.  Just let God come through.