ARE YOU FACING CHALLENGES AND IN NEED OF HELP AND HOPE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God.
(Psalm 146:5)

MEDITATION:
Every person has some basic needs.
Two of those are:
    – Help in a time of need.
    – Hope for good things.

As long as things are going well, or difficulties are within our own capabilities
of coping with, then we don’t necessarily think about our need for help. But,
when we are faced with something overwhelming, or a pending decision that
we are unsure about, then we realize our need for help.

Think about this:
    If help is available and we choose to utilize it all the time,
    wouldn’t our life be less stressful and more peaceful?
If that’s true, then why don’t we seek help all the time? It could be 
because we have a desire to be self-sufficient and ‘in control’, right?

But that’s not what God wants of those who belong to Him. He wants us
to depend on Him and seek His help; He doesn’t want our independence
from Him and our self-sufficiency, He wants us to be dependent on Him.

We are the same with our children, aren’t we? Rather than watch them
struggle with anything, we want them to ask for our help. Why? Because
we probably know an easier way for them to do things. Doesn’t it just
make sense to ask God to show us an easier way?

Hope is the other area of importance for God’s people. When we think
about the brevity of our lifespan, we need hope for life after death. Jesus
followed God’s plan and went to the cross to provide us this hope.

Also, whenever we are dealing with stressful situations, major illnesses, or
we are hurting from moments of extreme sadness or depression, we need
to have hope that things will improve, and we can get through our trials.
God fills this need for those who belong to Him.

However, the unlimited benefits of help and hope that flow from Heaven’s
storehouse depend on our relationship to God. Absolute dependency and
a complete yielding to Him are the conditions of belonging to Him. When
we read His Word, we can see that those who belong to Him are entitled
to receive those things which can create happiness. To belong to Him and
to be His child, we must surrender our will to His will.

ACTION:
Is our source of help and hope in the Lord, or do we seek them
in all the wrong places. Are we a child of God? Have we yielded
to His will, or are we still doing what we want to do within
ourselves?
    “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in
       trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give
       way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though
       its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their
       surging.”
       (Psalm 46:1-3)

If you haven’t made a trip to His altar and asked Him into your life,
don’t you think it’s about time for you to do that? If you don’t believe
the Bible, then you can assume that when you die, it is over, and you
return to the elements of the earth.

But what if the scriptures are true? That means that if you don’t
personally know the Lord, then your problems on earth will pale
in comparison to an eternity of misery and pain that includes being
separated from the Lord and experiencing ‘paradise lost’ (the life
you could be living if you had not refused to surrender your life
to the Lord).

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise of help
and hope for those who belong to You. Forgive me if I
have allowed my selfish independence to prevent me
from seeking Your will and Your help in my times of
need. Convict me if I am not a child of Yours. Pierce
my heart and show me what I must do to belong to You.
I am truly sorry for my sins and believe that Jesus went
to the cross to secure my forgiveness. I also believe that
three days later He arose from the grave and is now with
You in Heaven. Forgive me of my sins and save me so I
can be a part of Your family for now and throughout
eternity. After I receive Your salvation, help me to yield 
my will to Your will and show me how to use the spiritual  
gifts You have given me so I can be a part of Your earthly  
ministry team. I love You and I thank You for loving me.”

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