Is He Willing To Help?
Let’s be honest. Life can be tough sometimes. There can be financial stress; physical disabilities some of us face; job losses and business failures. With all that going on, it is easy for us to begin to question whether we really believe our “Heavenly Father” really does care, and whether He is truly willing to come solve your problem?
I am not speaking words of doubt and confusion, I am addressing the “stuff” folks email me about. These are the areas where many believer stumble in their faith. They profess that their God has all they need — they admit He cares but when the “rubber meets the road,” they are not convinced He is willing to come quickly to help them.
Yes, some of you “giants of faith,” want to wag your finger at them and say they lack faith, and maybe that is true, but does that really help them? Oh, you can judge them and accuse them of not taking the Scriptures seriously, but again, does that help them?
But I’ll tell you what, when our Father does not answer your cry right away, don’t start imagining that the hindrance and inner blockage is in yourself. Don’t start trying to figure out why the Lord has not moved on your behalf or His seeming unwillingness to come to your aid. Ask Him! Because when we start using our own rationale we are going to make things even worse.
Let me show you something. A whole bunch of years ago, on Mount Carmel, Elijah accused the pagan god Ba’al of child neglect: “They . . . called on the name of Ba’al from morning even till noon, saying, “O Ba’al, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered” (I Kings 18:26).
“And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.’ So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom . . . until the blood gushed out on them . . . but there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention” (I Kings 18:27-29).
Read those words again: “There was no voice . . . no one answered . . . no one paid attention.” This is exactly what we have been accusing our God of doing! That is child neglect! We pray, we cry out to our God, but we go our way believing He never heard us! We walk away from the Lord’s presence — away from our church, away from the secret closet — wondering if He even paid attention to our concerns and needs!
Look, don’t ever even entertain the thought the our Lord is not ready to hear and answer your cry for help. I love what David declared: “You, O Adonay, are good and forgiving, full of mercy toward everyone who calls out to you . . . When I am in trouble, I call out to you because you answer me” (Psalm 86:5, 7).
David said, “My God is ready and willing to answer me the very moment I cry out to Him! I do not stop and consider my trouble. I do not grieve over it or try to figure it out. I go to my Lord and cry, ‘Help!'”
As A.W. Tozer described “To experience without understanding is the act of a child. The child eats its food and has not the remotest idea what is in it or whether it is good for him or not. He experiences many of life’s varied facets and does not understand any of them. He just enjoys.” (A.W. Tozer, A Disruptive Faith). That is all our Father is waiting for — your heartbroken cry, uttered in child-like faith!
Just in case you are thinking that I am exaggerating my point some, Jesus declared, “I can guarantee this truth: Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” So there you go, you can rely on our Father. He will answer your call for help!
Nickolas
I am not speaking words of doubt and confusion, I am addressing the “stuff” folks email me about. These are the areas where many believer stumble in their faith. They profess that their God has all they need — they admit He cares but when the “rubber meets the road,” they are not convinced He is willing to come quickly to help them.
Yes, some of you “giants of faith,” want to wag your finger at them and say they lack faith, and maybe that is true, but does that really help them? Oh, you can judge them and accuse them of not taking the Scriptures seriously, but again, does that help them?
But I’ll tell you what, when our Father does not answer your cry right away, don’t start imagining that the hindrance and inner blockage is in yourself. Don’t start trying to figure out why the Lord has not moved on your behalf or His seeming unwillingness to come to your aid. Ask Him! Because when we start using our own rationale we are going to make things even worse.
Let me show you something. A whole bunch of years ago, on Mount Carmel, Elijah accused the pagan god Ba’al of child neglect: “They . . . called on the name of Ba’al from morning even till noon, saying, “O Ba’al, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered” (I Kings 18:26).
“And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.’ So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom . . . until the blood gushed out on them . . . but there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention” (I Kings 18:27-29).
Read those words again: “There was no voice . . . no one answered . . . no one paid attention.” This is exactly what we have been accusing our God of doing! That is child neglect! We pray, we cry out to our God, but we go our way believing He never heard us! We walk away from the Lord’s presence — away from our church, away from the secret closet — wondering if He even paid attention to our concerns and needs!
Look, don’t ever even entertain the thought the our Lord is not ready to hear and answer your cry for help. I love what David declared: “You, O Adonay, are good and forgiving, full of mercy toward everyone who calls out to you . . . When I am in trouble, I call out to you because you answer me” (Psalm 86:5, 7).
David said, “My God is ready and willing to answer me the very moment I cry out to Him! I do not stop and consider my trouble. I do not grieve over it or try to figure it out. I go to my Lord and cry, ‘Help!'”
As A.W. Tozer described “To experience without understanding is the act of a child. The child eats its food and has not the remotest idea what is in it or whether it is good for him or not. He experiences many of life’s varied facets and does not understand any of them. He just enjoys.” (A.W. Tozer, A Disruptive Faith). That is all our Father is waiting for — your heartbroken cry, uttered in child-like faith!
Just in case you are thinking that I am exaggerating my point some, Jesus declared, “I can guarantee this truth: Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” So there you go, you can rely on our Father. He will answer your call for help!
Nickolas
(I send out messages like this each morning in emails, and if you are interested in receiving them, send me your email address and I will add you to the list. However, you can also find these messages at: Thought For The Day)
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I love standing in the pulpit and preaching a g-o-o-d (hear a sarcastic and jovial voice) sermon! However, just to be fair, if I am ever invited to preach in your church, sometimes it is difficult for me to remain behind the pulpit. I like to move among the congregation and address specific people.
I was leaning on my own understanding. But one day I found myself in my office just sitting and not saying anything to the Lord. In fact, I still find myself doing this a lot. I just sit in His presence (which is a good place to be) and wait . . . wait to hear His voice. But that morning in my office, I didn’t hear an audible voice, but just that sense that He was pleased with me and that He loved me no matter how talented I was. When I worshiped, He didn’t care what I sang or how I sang it. His only concern was that I was a mess inside. All He said was, “You’re a good son. You are called to Pastor and to teach, and that is what you do. It is not who you are; you are My son.”
Maybe some of you learned that way before I did, but it was a new and refreshing revelation, for me. Now I have come to realize that no matter what circumstances we are facing, there is a God who is never surprised by any of it. Everything around us is topsy-turvy. You look on the news and there is ISIS, economic issues, domestic abuse, marriages in trouble and so many horrible things happening. You can start feeling like, ‘Man, this world is really messed up,’ and in many ways it is, but the Holy Spirit is able to have believers look up as Isaiah did, and see the Hope of Victory. The Lord is high above it all. And it is something that we need to be continually reminded of.
we have to become his burning ones. We have an obligation. NO! A command to lift up the glorified Christ in our lives and worship. When you pastors and those of you who lead worship, stand before your churches and lead them into the thrown room of the Most High God, and stand with pure hearts and clean minds! You parents, realize that your children belong to Christ and you were given the task of leading and guiding them to honor and love the Lord. Whatever vocation you are involved in, realize that you are not merely an employee. You are the Lord’s ambassador to your employer and to the customers you deal with. Nothing is insignificant or menial.
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