 By James H. Cagle |
“Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies” Psalm 108: 12, 13 KJV).
“Help” is the desperate often audible cry of someone whose personal resources have failed or been exhausted and they need someone to use their resources to give strength and support. Help is something human beings are good at. We help the weak and defenseless, the elderly, the poor, the homeless, and those who can’t help themselves.
We have all asked for help at one time or another, and hopefully, we’ve helped others at some point in our lives. We know those who will gladly and unreservedly help us at any time when we ask. We also know those who will not help us or do so grudgingly.
We need help with a lot more than just fixing the car, repairing the house, paying our bills, moving, or any of a dozen other projects around the house or at work. We need help with life. Life can get very difficult when we make the wrong choices, so we need help making the right ones. We can do bad all by ourselves, but when we begin to suffer the bad consequences of our bad choices, we want change and usually ask for help.
A lot of people need help, want help, and will ask for help, but will not receive help because to be helped, they must change. Help means changing from the way that got us into trouble to a way that gets us out, and keeps us out, of trouble. Most people aren’t willing to make the required change, so they remain in trouble. Change and help are synonymous, so when we repent, change and help will come.
Man can help us with just about everything, but man can’t help us when it comes to salvation. Some religions are in the business of supposedly helping the sinner get saved by performing certain works and rituals. But these works and rituals avail nothing and help only to mislead.
Man is helpless when it comes to salvation from sin and Hell. But God showed mercy and love to the helpless man and offered Jesus Christ to complete all the work necessary for the sinner’s salvation. Now all it takes is faith in Christ’s finished work of redemption for an otherwise helpless sinner to be saved.
Once a person becomes a Christian, they have God (Ps. 121; Heb. 13: 6), Christ (Acts 26: 22; Heb. 4: 15, 16), the Spirit (Rom. 8: 26), angels (Dan. 10: 13; Heb. 1: 14), and other Christians to help them (Acts 16: 9; Gal. 6: 1, 2; 1 Thess. 5: 14, 15). There are some Christians who are gifted at helping others and have the gift of “help” (1Cor. 12: 28). When the preacher preaches the Word of God, he is helping us to live our lives in such a way as to honor God and be a witness to the lost world (Acts 20: 28; 2 Tim. 4: 2, 3).
We will always need help in this imperfect world. And God’s help is always available and always on time. “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his trouble” (Ps. 34: 6).
