For When Life Feels Hard And You Need a Helper

Posted on Jul 03, 2018 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Sally Burke and Cyndie Claypool de Neve

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalm 121:1-4 niv

Where is your heart today? Are you overwhelmed? Frustrated? Discouraged? Do you need the reminder that God is your help? The One who created every living thing, who placed the moon and the stars in the heavens, not only knows your name, but He loves you. And He comes to your rescue as your helper, if you just ask.

Look back at the passage above. What is the one thing the Psalmist does? In the very first verse, he says, “I lift up my eyes.” Everything else is what God does for us, how He helps us. He will not let your foot slip. He watches over you and is always ready to help. We need only to keep our eyes focused on Him. When you are in distress, call out to Him for help, and He will hear you.

Often, we remember King David as a mighty warrior, a forgiven man with a heart after God. Yet, it was David who was hunted down by King Saul, who wanted to destroy the next king of Israel. In Psalm 18, we get a glimpse into David’s heart. He intentionally shifts his focus from the “cords of death” and “torrents of destruction” to the One who “arms me with strength.”

The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
Psalm 18:4-6; 32-33; 36 niv

God doesn’t lift us off the character-shaping mountains in our lives. He offers His help, strength, and power for us to endure the struggles before us. He empowers us, making us sure-footed like the deer and providing a broad path on which we can walk safely. Our heavenly Father doesn’t pluck us out of the ordeal. He guides and protects us as we learn and grow every step of the way. In fact, it’s when we acknowledge that we need His help that we are at our strongest, because we allow Him to work through us. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “… For when I am weak, then I am strong” (niv).

Oh, Lord, we praise You for providing help when we feel overwhelmed, unsure, and shaky. When we call on Your holy name, You straighten our path, secure our steps and empower us through our weaknesses. You help us look past the mountains in front of us onto You our Helper, who uses every obstacle to strengthen us and grow our character. How amazing it is that the Creator of the universe loves us and helps. Oh how we praise You, Lord!