“We do not know what to do, but we are looking to You for help.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT
“Not having every answer will keep you tender before God and honest with people.”
My thoughts today are about “help wanted.”
Wouldn’t it be nice to know everything? Maybe then you would never make a mistake, never again be at a loss for what to do, or never need anyone else; well, maybe this last one is not such a good idea for people who already believe that about themselves. No one ever knows all there is to know. Every person faces situations where the answers are not obvious, the right decisions are not all that clear. If life has not asked questions you cannot answer, you probably haven’t been paying attention.
I am confronted plenty of times with things I need to know, but do not. That happens daily in my own life and in the lives of those who look to me for spiritual leadership and guidance. That humbling reality has kept me tender before God and honest with people. My answer has been the same as Judah’s King Jehoshaphat discovered. Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-20 NLT. Here’s his story: three nations – “a vast army” – threatened Judah. The situation was gravely serious.
The King sought God’s guidance, called people to a national fast, and prayed publicly before the nation, “O God . . You alone are the God who is in Heaven. You are ruler of all kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you . . we are powerless against this mighty army. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to You for help.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT. Ever tried to help someone that didn’t want help? God rushes where help is wanted. God gave them glorious victory in an unimagined way. They worshiped wholeheartedly and God worked majestically! Read 2 Chronicles 20:21-30 NLT.
There will be times you will not know what to do; God always knows what He can do for you! Look to Heaven for help. The last sermon I heard my Dad preach was the prayer of Solomon upon his being crowned King. Dad’s text was Solomon’s prayer, “I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around (I do not know how to go out or come in. NKJV) . . give me an understanding mind so I can govern Your people well and know the difference between right and wrong . . the Lord was pleased with Solomon’s reply and was glad he asked for wisdom.” 1 Kings 3:5-14 NLT. What pleases God is simple – humility, honesty, and trust. See Hebrews 4:16 NIV.
A child doesn’t yet know all that much; they don’t know how much they don’t know, lacking sufficient life experience. Children have not learned their “way around” yet. They need help and direction; they need others’ wisdom and life experience to guide and protect them. That’s how I felt during that sermon. Only twenty-one years old, a Bible College senior preparing for ministry, and just weeks from marriage, Solomon’s sincerity deeply touched my heart. I could not have known that just weeks later that my Dad and sister would die in a tragic highway accident and I would be asked to pastor the church which my Father had pastored, and in which I had grown up?
In that traumatic situation, God clearly spoke a promise to my heart from His Word, “My help comes from the Lord . . the Lord preserves your life. The Lord watches over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” Psalm 121:1-8 NLT. As a man, husband, father, pastor, and friend, I have often felt keenly aware of how few answers I have of myself when others’ or my own well-being depend on that. I am, however, confident in the wisdom and faithfulness of the God I serve. God comes where help is wanted. Read Psalm 46:1-3 NIV.
My prayer for you today is to have supreme confidence in God’s timely help.