God Speaking

“So, do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

(Isaiah 41: 10)

My husband was an avid fisherman and loved teaching his children and grandchildren the art of fishing.  On one occasion we were picnicking at a local lake and my granddaughter who was only six years old decided she wanted to learn to fish like Grandpa, so of course my husband had extra lines and the lessons began. After about ten minutes, my little granddaughter turned to my husband and said, “Okay Grandpa. I get it! You can go now. I don’t need your help any longer.” Of course, the little girl was unaware of tangled lines, hooks caught in the weeds or lines falling short of the water. Sometimes we are very similar in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. We know he is always ready to help us, but like a little child, we think we have it all together and disregard his help. We want to do it our way.

Just like my little granddaughter, we can drift away from the help and guidance of our Heavenly Father and there are warnings about the danger of doing that.

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.”   (Hebrews 2: 1)

Scripture has many references to ever available help our Heavenly Father is always ready to give and the Psalmists knew this.

“God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-helper in troubler.” (Psalm 46: 1)

Sometimes it is hard to admit that we need help, and we even may see this as weakness, but by doing so we delay the compassionate help waiting for us by not turning to God in prayer.

I am learning this lesson of being willing to ask for help from my family as I am old and finding many tasks too difficult to do. My family beg me to ask for help instead hurting myself in attempting to do such things as heavy lifting.

One of the Psalmists realizes he has come to that place where he needs God and calls out to him.

“Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, Oh God. You are my help and my deliverer; Oh Lord, do not delay.” (Psalm 70: 5)

There are beautiful words in Scripture describing how God protects us. He is our fortress, our deliverer, our shield, if we stay close to him, he will cover us with his shadow. Like a mother hen he will hide us under his feathers. I love the firm and safe description of he is our Rock.

I love the words of that old hymn that reassures us of this.

Rock of ages cleft for me.

Let me hide myself in thee.

We just need to remember to ask.