Topic: Help For The Helpless [Thursday 4, May 2017]
Memorise: The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. – Psalm 46:7
Read: Psalm 9:18-20 (KJV)
18 For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19 Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
20 Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 1, Jeremiah 25:17-33, Hymn: Sing hymn
MESSAGE:
There are general blessings and also personal blessings. I have observed that anytime David wanted to discuss something that was very important to him, he normally personalised it. For instance, in Psalm 23:1, he says,
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
He did not say, “The Lord is our shepherd.” He was simply saying, “I can only speak for myself; I don’t know about you.” I pray that you will experience God as the Good Shepherd, so that you can testify personally and not just by sharing other people’s experiences. A shepherd is a person who looks after sheep. One thing you will observe about sheep is that they are very defenceless against predators. They cannot bite, they have no claws, and they cannot run fast; their only defence is the shepherd.
You will agree with me that it is a very frightening thing to be defenceless in a hostile world. It is indeed a horrible feeling to be completely hopeless. When a man is sick, he runs to the doctor hoping to be healed, but when the doctor tries his best and says there is nothing else he can do, the sick becomes hopeless. When a man has serious financial problems, he runs to his bank expecting a bail-out, but what will he do when the bank insists on using assets he doesn’t have as collateral? In the same way, when a child is sick, he looks up to his parents for help and care, but how will the child feel if his parents tell him that the forces battling against him are beyond their capability? Worst still, imagine how you will feel if your pastor tells you that after praying all manner of prayers, there is nothing more he can do to help you! It is a terrible thing to feel lonely or forsaken by relatives and loved ones. A man who once experienced such a situation used these words to express his feelings in Psalm 102:6-7:
“6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. 7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.”
Have you been in such a situation? Do you feel exposed, naked and prone to shame? Are you facing the worst of times with no one to defend you? Has everyone you thought could help deserted you and now you think life is worthless? I bring you good news today! There is hope for the hopeless and cover for the naked. God is so very close to you, and He will reach out and touch you today. The Lord will make a way for you! Call on Him and tell Him you have no one to help you but Him. Ask Him to help you now. He will answer and turn your situation around for good.
Key Point: When everything else has failed, never give up your hope for a better life; although it may take time, help will surely come.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.
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