help

God is Watching Out the Window

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments 
May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
 May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary,
 and give you support from Zion!
Psalm 20:1-2 ESV

One day when our seven-year-old son was walking home from school, a group of three older boys began pushing him, throwing his books in the snow and giving him a hard time. Unfortunately for them, my wife, Nancy, happened to be watching out our apartment window, and immediately went into action. In seconds she flew down the stairs and out the door. You never saw three kids runs so fast once they had caught sight of their victim’s angry mom bearing down on them. Fortunately for everyone involved she never quite caught them, but it was the last time that they picked on Chris that year! In the same way God is looking out the window and watching for us as we are on the way home to Him. But you might think that asking God for help when we have problems is a spiritual no-no or even a bit selfish. But nothing could be further from the truth. God loves to answer our cry. Just as Nancy was not annoyed to immediately come Chris’ defense, the Lord eagerly runs to our aid. Today’s verse also tells us that the name of the Lord is our protection. When we call for help in Jesus’ name, our enemies are terrified and scurry for cover, not because of us but because they see Him angrily chasing them down! Finally, the Psalm tells us that God sends help from His sanctuary. Now this sanctuary is not some place that God goes to hide, instead it is the holiest place in Heaven. It is where the Father sits on His throne, surrounded by millions of angels and saints falling down in worship. Its floor is pure gold, and its support columns shake at the sound of His voice. Yet surrounded by all this eternal splendor, God is not irritated when He hears our cry. He does not mind putting down what He is doing to get involved in our life. No! God rushes to our rescue because we are His. He cares about us and we are precious and loved. So, if you are facing trouble, grief or even life-threatening circumstances today, remember that your Heavenly Father is watching over you. He is listening for your cry and will eagerly answer our prayers when we cry to Him in the day of our trouble!

Feeling Lost?

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Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Psalms 25:4 NKJV

Some days I feel lost, and hemmed in like the children of Israel at the Red Sea. But when I don’t know which way to go in life, then with David I can cry, “Show me your ways O Lord. Teach me Your paths!” Psalm 25:4 NKJV And just as He promises, God listens and directs our path.

When things seem dark and confusing, John tells us that, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:5 NLT And God lights up the dark places and comforts our souls, like a child who crawls into bed with mom and dad on a scary night.

And in those moments when we feel like failures and taking the next step seems impossible, Paul shares what Jesus told him, “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV God doesn’t only use strong, smart and perfect people. He loves most to work with small, weak and broken people just like us so that He can show us His power, His love and His mercy. Then, He sends us to others to share that knowing and trusting in Him is the only real hope that anyone can have and that no matter what we face that He is enough!

Heaven’s Hotline

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God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;         Psalm 46:1-2 KJV 

The story of the children of Israel leaving Egypt reminds me a lot of our situation in America today. Just like us they were fearful because of the crises they faced. Every time they faced an emergency the people ran to Moses in a panic and demanded answers. Moses in turn knew that he didn’t have the answers, so he dialed God’s hot line. And every time Moses called for God’s help, whether it was about the Egyptian army, the lack of food in the desert or the bitter water at Mara God worked another miracle. It might seem strange that no matter how many times God delivered them they never trusted Him the next time, but are we really any different? Instead of chariots, hunger and bitter water we face the Corona virus, Antifa and economic disaster. Just like the people of Israel it seems as if the world as we know it is about to fall into the depths of the sea. But in the same way that God answered His heavenly hotline for the children of Israel, He is still ready to answer us today 

Though, it feels like running away from our problems would be the safest solution; the real truth is that the only safe place is in Jesus Christ. He offers us a gift of life that cannot be taken away. He makes available a citizenship in a kingdom that will never be overthrown. He is making plans to adopt us into His family where we will be loved and accepted forever. Why not trust Him as refuge and strength in whatever trouble you face? Before turning on the morning news, remember that He is guarding the doors, of both our homes and our hearts. Even when mountains are falling into the sea, He will be with us. He has promised to walk with us both through fire and through the flood. He is our refuge and strength and in Him we don’t ever need to be afraid again!Â