Where Does My Help Come From?

https://odb.org/MY/2021/12/13/a-worthwhile-wait

I think this is one of the major issues those of us in the faith always face – how do we trust God to do what’s best for us? As humans, we have a tendency to take things into our own hands. We are impatient. We want fast resolution. Even in counselling people, we tend to want to step in or advise a quick resolution rather than wait for God to move or let things unfold further. Sometimes time will tell the sincerity of a person but we are quick to jump to conclusions and make impulsive judgments and decisions.

Two classic cases of taking things into our own hands in the bible. The case of the Northern Kingdom Israel’s King Hoshea seeking Egypt’s help to avoid paying a tribute to the Assyrians – see 2 Kings 7:1-4, which is what is alluded to in today’s Scriptural reading in Isaiah 30:15-19. In the end, the Assyrians came in and destroyed them.

The other case is that of Saul who couldn’t wait for Samuel to arrive to offer sacrifices to the LORD before going to battle and instead took the role of the priest and in the process, he lost the battle and later his throne to David.

The principle is clear, we must seek God’s help and wait upon Him – there are just no two ways about it.

Thus God declares in Isaiah 30:18 that the LORD longs to be gracious to you and blessed are those who wait upon Him. In the story of Jesus resurrecting Lazarus who was dead for 4 days, Jesus took His time to go to Bethany although He was determined to go despite previous threats. See John 11. The thing is Jesus delayed so that everyone could see the glory of God and believe – it can only be a miracle if one is raised from the dead after 4 days! The timing and will of God is perfect and cannot be rushed although He may be determined to intervene and rescue us from our situation. In John 11 we saw that Jesus was deeply moved by the situation and wept. Yet He allowed the timing and sovereign will of God to take precedence.

Trusting in the love and compassion of God is more meaningful as that means God personally and directly helped us. I experienced this when I faced some devastating news four and the half years ago and through it all, I experienced His love and compassion although I didn’t deserve. The Lord literally remade my future in the process and I can truly say that His plans for me is to prosper and not to destroy me because only He could do what He did!

Where does my help come from? My help comes from the maker of heaven and earth, the creator of all things. Those that wait upon the LORD shall indeed mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint!