“Their cry for help . . went up to God.” Exodus 2:23 NIV
“When your cry to others for help goes unheard, or worse yet, unanswered, what do you do?”
My thoughts today are about “help wanted.”
Eventually, you will need help. Nobody can do it all on their own, all the time. Everyone feels helpless sometime. When you do need help, where do you turn? Remember the newspaper’s Help Wanted ads or thumbtacked notices crammed on some community bulletin board? More currently, Craig’s List seems to be the place today for people’s electronic cries for help.
What about the times you need help but don’t know where to turn or who to tell, so your cry goes unheard? Or the times you ask for help, but your need goes unanswered? There is one place that is always open to you, and One who always cares and answers. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.” Psalm 46:1-2 NIV. When no one else may hear the sighs and sounds of your pain and need, there is One that does. See Psalm 30:10
Today’s verse describes a difficult and desperate time in Israel’s history. When they sought help from their Egyptian oppressors, they cruelly decreased their supplies and increased their quotas. Finally, instead of looking for help from places it would not come, from people who did not care, “Their cry for help . . went up to God.” The Bible says, “The righteous call to the Lord, and He listens; He rescues them from all their troubles.” Psalm 34:17 TEV. See also Exodus 3:7-8 TEV.
When you invite God to get involved, things begin to change sooner rather than later, for the better not for worse. “Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There (you) will receive mercy and find grace to help just when (you) need it.” Hebrews 4:16 TEV/ See also Psalm 122:2 NIV. God answers because you ask, not because you deserve. It’s His grace to do so.
It does not have to be a skillfully worded appeal; often a cry for help is all you have time or strength to do! Here’s God’s answer when confusion makes you feel your cry is unintelligible – “The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray . . with groanings that cannot be expressed in words,” – or when heart-weary distress seems to silence your cry? – “the Spirit pleads for us in harmony with God’s own will.” Romans 8:26-27 NLT.
David’s confidence can also be yours. Whatever else your experience may be or has been with others, even the closest of earthly relationships, you can say with David, “You have always been my help . . O God of my salvation! Even when my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take care of me.” Psalm 27:9-10.
My prayer for you today is: don’t hesitate to ask God or others for the help you need.