Thursday, March 22, 2012

“Help Comes From the Lord” (Ps 121)




“I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (vs1-2).

Thankfully, we have help from God.  We have no power in ourselves, and our failures teach us abundantly that we are nothing.  We’d despair, quit, and be damned eventually as slaves of sin, unless we had an OUTSIDE of us power, a God who can help.

Bless Him that in spite of our nothingness, He has chosen to help and to save.  Sin conquered us in the Garden, and we deserve its dominion, to be under its yoke and power. But, Jesus slew the dragon for us, paid for our WORST crimes against God, and He is why God will help us overcome. He loves us for Christ’s sake, and He has promised to bless us because of what He has done.

This outside help is LOOKING to the Lord Jesus, the Son of God as crucified FOR me, so that God can be near me. He says, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). We look to Him, when we have no power of our own, and we BELIEVE that He is able.  This secures us and gives us assurance!  If I had to fight in my strength, if I had to look to myself, then I would despair and give up, playing the hypocrite perhaps, but without hope, “for what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he may gain much, if God takes away his life? (Job 27:8)”  But, if God is my helper, then I have all that I need. I can rest assured, even though the battle is hot and sin brings me into captivity (Rom 7:23). I shall not be forsaken and left to die. God will help, and this is salvation guaranteed!

Look to the devil and see him stronger than you, but NEVER stronger than Christ. Look to your troubles and your fears about tomorrow as problems that you can’t fix, but rest assured that help is coming, even if you don’t feel it now and have failed before.  God is all powerful, “the creator of heaven and earth”, and this power is covenanted to help you (Ps 121:2; Heb 13:20-21).  Take this by faith alone, and you’ll experience it, more than you can ask or think.  Submit everything to Him.

Secondly, you’ve failed many times, but He won’t (vs3-8).  He says, “He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep”. You are beyond your limits, but He won’t fail to intervene.  You’ve got troubles upon troubles, but He won’t stumble or deceive. He doesn’t try to help, or DO anything less than help indeed.

Our boldness is in God.  We are BOLD in prayer because Jesus is the Name that He receives, and through Him, we can’t be rejected.  Paul says, in Christ, “we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.  Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory” (Eph 3:12-13).  God’s love made Jesus the way whereby He delights to hear us.  He smells the fragrance of Christ’s sacrifice, and He delights in our faith. We can’t be forsaken, because He can’t go back on His promises.  He overcomes the enemy, no matter the situation, 100%.

Let your fear go.  Believe the gospel and live optimistically, even in your need.  Your help amidst your desperation is coming, absolutely, every time. 

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