Help!!!

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.
Selah. Psalm 46:1-3

I don't know about you, but there have been numerous times in my 32 years where I just needed HELP! And even though I was raised in the church and was taught about how God will take care of me, I often times have failed to call on Him when times have gotten difficult.

I was reading in Isaiah 31 recently, and while I still have lots of learning to do when it comes to understanding the prophet, I don't think I missed the point when it said,

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
or seek help from the LORD. Isaiah 31:1

You see, in their time of need, God's people were seeking help from Egypt. And, God's response in verse 3 is:

But the Egyptians are men and not God.......

It's very interasting, on the same day that I read the passage in Isaiah, I also read the following from the New Testament:

One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." Luke 8:22-25

Why were the disciples scared? Had they not already witnessed Jesus' power as he healed the sick? And why would God's people turn to Egypt in their time of need? Had they not heard of all the Lord had done for His people over the years?

And what about me? Why do I forget about God's promises to me? His promises to take care of me and lead me so that I can spend eternity with Him. Over the years, I have turned to many people and things to help me in times of distress. Worse, sometimes I relied only on myself to help with a problem.

I heard a very wise statement made by a lady in Bible class recently. She said that when she was really struggling with something, that before she called her mom or her girlfriend to vent or to pour out her heart, she would take it to the Lord in prayer. Of course! Why wouldn't we turn to the Creator of the universe and the Savior of the world........first! My prayer is that from this point forward, I will turn to God when I am in need of HELP. He is the only answer when we are in the midst of life's storms. And, hopefully, I won't forget that He has already claimed the victory through the death and resurrection of His son, Jesus!

What about you? What do you do when you need help? Can't wait to hear from you!

Promise

....for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. I Timothy 4:8

Godliness - Reverencing God, and his character and laws; obedient to the commands of God from love for, and reverence of, His character; conformed to God's law; devout; righteous; as, a godly life.

The Bible, in numerous passages, talks about the godly and encourages us to be godly. Personally, I have understood the reason why I should strive to live a godly life - it is my response to the grace offered to me by Him through faith in his son Jesus so that I could one day live with him in Heaven. And, I fully understand that what I do will not earn me a ticket to Heaven, while on the other hand, faith that produces no fruit is a dead faith (James 2:26).

But today, after reading the verse quoted above, I noticed something new. It's the phrase, "promise for the present life." I have often only thought about the "promise for the life to come." Heaven. But we have promise for NOW. Today.

So, how does trying to live a godly life hold promise for me today? How does it contrast to the alternative.....an ungodly life? Being a Christian does not exempt me from life's hardships; sickness, death, heartache, poverty, etc. These things are experienced by all, Christian or not. But, I have noticed without a shadow of doubt the blessings that come when I try to pattern my life after Him. When I love and submit to my husband in a godly way, we fight less and work together SO much better. When I forgive someone a wrong, God takes away the burden of holding a grudge and He forgives me. When I choose not to engage in the "night life" that is so popular among people my age (okay, who am I kidding, I am quickly getting older than that!), I can avoid some of the consequences that come from those activities; addictions, sexual sin......the list goes on. When I choose to serve instead of be served, I get to witness how the love of Jesus changes people's lives for the better. When I spend my time with other Christians worshiping or working, I am encouraged to keep on running because I am not alone. What an awesome God we serve who blesses us in this life AND the one to come!

In what ways have you been blessed here in THIS LIFE by trying to do it His way? I would love to hear how that promise reaches you personally. So, please share!