A God Who Helps

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!  Our God is the God of salvation.” (Psalm 68:19-20)

We often find ourselves in a situation in which we need help. We all have an inner need to lean upon an arm that is stronger than our own, stronger than any other person’s, in fact. We have burdens to bear but can actually only find one person who truly is able to help us carry them. Yes, He has promised to help us, not only once or twice, but throughout our entire pilgrimage, He will help and strengthen, if we desire His help. At all times, He has been the strong and mighty Helper and Savior for His people. No matter what situation we are in, whether surrounded by enemies or faced with insurmountable problems, or when we are sorely tempted, we are reminded that “He is the God of our salvation.”

We read in Psalm 34:20: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” “However,” you might say, “I have far greater struggles than others.” Then hear: “He shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven no evil shall touch you” (Job 5:19). No tribulation is so great that God cannot safely get you through it. 

    So how can you experience God’s help in your trouble? “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15). If we call on the Lord for help, He will incline His ear and fulfill His promise. God will not ignore any sincere call for help. However, it might not come in the shape or form that we had imagined or expected. Because God is omniscient, He will direct the outcome to be the best according to His wisdom. One thing is certain: if we trust Him and love Him, He will help us and rescue us from any peril that we find ourselves in. We can completely count on it.

People might be caught up in spiritual struggles and sense that they may not be right before God. Perhaps the evil one has set a trap, and they have just stepped into it. They have been tempted and have succumbed to temptation. Supposing they have been defeated, God wants to be their Helper even then. Note the splendid promise: “Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence” (Psalm 91:3). In a two-fold manner, God rescues from the snare of the fowler and from the trap which the enemy of your soul sets. Firstly, He wants to protect you from falling into that snare; and secondly, He wants to set you free if you had the misfortune of being caught in it. Therefore, do not be discouraged even if the evil one has managed to entangle you in his net. Remember, God can and wants to help you and set you free. 

There are many difficulties with which we would not need to be troubled with if we would walk more carefully and daily seek strength and grace from the Lord. It is true that Satan, as well as evil-minded people, try to lay a snare for us. We are tempted in various ways throughout our lives. They will try to persuade us to do things that will lead us into sin. God allows temptations but has made provisions for us not to be overcome but to be victorious in all things.

It often happens that those whom we love unknowingly set traps for us. They want us to do things that are wrong and can lead us into sin. God can deliver us and enable us to decisively counter that with a “no.” We must trust God that He will give us grace and strength to stand firm. It is possible to eventually give in to a temptation because we are wearied and then completely give up. Very often, we are tempted by others to do things that harm our soul. Some people might try to persuade us to go to places that we should not be going to, or they entice us to act against the warnings of our conscience. Under no circumstance should we act in a manner that counters our moral principles in order to please someone else. Even here, let it be said: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

False teachings are traps that are laid to ensnare our feet. The world is full of false teachings, which cause many to be led astray. It is not necessary, though, that anyone be led astray. There are so many deceptive things in this world that seem to promise a lot of good but in reality are an entrapment of Satan. Some even promise great spiritual gifts or powers but are actually the bait of Satan’s snare. It is completely natural for God’s children to desire strength and spiritual gifts. However, in striving for these natural and good desires, some souls have fallen captive to false teachings and fallacies. Many good and sincere people have become prey of different movements and have suffered harm to their souls. Beware of the trap of false teachings! Always take your spiritual needs directly to God and pour out your heart to Him. He will never withhold what He sees as good for us in His unending wisdom. Once we have recognized the truth, we should never turn from it to acquire new truth. That is a firm and irrevocable fact. Godly truth never contradicts itself.

There will be times in which we are called to fight. We must counter evil and overcome it. Israel often battled courageously to claim victory over the enemies. We must do likewise, spiritually speaking. Israel was always victorious when they trusted God and were obedient to Him. But when they counted on their own strength, they always lost. That is exactly what will happen to us if we battle in our own strength. We cannot claim victory without God’s assistance. However, if we put our trust in Him and bravely fight and do our part, victory will be ours. No enemy can restrain nor conquer us.

Let us remember that the battle is the Lord’s. He is our strength and our help. He wants to be our all in all!