When We Feel Helpless

Psalm 50:15

and call on me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

NIV from www.biblegateway.com

In adventure movies, we often see people trapped and helpless, frantically looking for a way to escape. Real life can sometimes feel that way for us, and as we begin to look for a way out, our prayers become filled with requests for rescue - physical healing, changed circumstances, additional provision. 

   Did you ever consider that even more important than physical rescue is spiritual liberation? (See Eph. 6:12). First and foremost, Jesus Christ delivered you from the power and penalty of sin. As your living Savior, He also knows your continued helplessness in the face of sinful habits, uncontrolled emotions, and ungodly thoughts. He wants to free you from these sins. So seek out His offer of spiritual rescue every day - whether or not a physical crisis looms over you.

   Follow the example of the psalmist, who cried out to God for deliverance. Psalm 50:15 says, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor me." Start by admitting your helplessness to the Lord and to yourself. Confess any fears, unbelief, or self-reliance that you might detect in your life. Surrender all further attempts at change that are done apart from the heavenly Father. Then turn your gaze toward Him. Think about His relationship with you, who He is, and what He desires. Let the Holy Spirit fill your spirit with the truth of God's Word. Meditate on it. Commit yourself to following His way. Then trust God, and wait on Him to change you from the inside out. A day will arrive when the helpless feeling will leave to be replaced by the joy of being free. When it does, give God the glory. 

 Stanley, Charles F. "When We Feel Helpless." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. page 31.

The God Who Saves

Ephesians 2:8-9

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. NIV from www.biblegateway.com

   Recently I was talking with a man about his spiritual live. When I asked, "Are you saved?" he answered, "No, but I'm working at it." When I pressed him, he explained that he was making some changes in his live. He had given up smoking and drinking, among other things. I knew I should help him understand a few important principles, as he was making some incorrect assumptions.

   This gentleman needed to realize that what we do or what we give up for Jesus dosn't amount to much. The Lord isn't looking for people who change a few habits by sheer forece of will; He's calling people to surrender themselves to Him. The only action God expects of a seeker is to believe in Jesus - that He is who He says, He will do what He says, He has the authority to forgive, and He will equip His people to live a godly life. Because of those convictions, a new Christian is empowered to turn away from his old life - in other words, to repent - and begin the process of becoming "a new creature" (2 Cor. 5:17).

   We don't evolve into a saved people by deleting old habits and instituting better religious ones; we are transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ when we believe in Him.

   Since salvation isn't something we earn, no one can boast before God. All of our moral living, good deeds, and strenuous efforts to change bad habits amount to a pile of trash, compared to the holiness of Jesus Christ (Isa. 64:6). His righteousness can cover our sins and make us right before the Father.

Stanley, Charles F. "The God Who Saves." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. Atlanta: In Touch Ministries. page 13.