"I AM HELPING"

A boy with no arms was struggling in his bedroom to put on a sweater. Meanwhile, his mom and her sister were in the kitchen drinking coffee.  As they listened to his cries for help, the lad’s aunt finally said, “For goodness sake, go and help that boy!”

Looking up from her coffee, with tears streaming down her face, the mother replied, “I am helping him.”

Think of how that relates to God and us. Although Satan is the source of all misery in our world, our loving Father often allows us to suffer because there’s no other way for us to grow. Of course, he could step in and stop it, but like the mom in our story, sometimes the most loving thing God can do, is stand back, with tears in his eyes, and watch us struggle.

Dealing with Linda’s cancer, it’s easy to insert myself into this story. We trust God that he’s “working all things together for good” (Romans 8:28), but during our down moments, we cry for help and wonder, “How long, Lord? Where are you?”

In the Psalms, at times King David must have sounded like this boy. In anguish, he pours out his heart, as he moans and groans, crying out to God for help. Psalm 13 records David’s complaint, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” (verse 1). In verse three he prays, “Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.” Finally, in verse five he circles back to this thought, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.”

David isn’t bipolar. He’s simply contrasting his feelings with his faith. He feels like God has rejected him, but deep inside, he knows he can trust God, no matter how he feels. It’s a classic battle we all face—and one Linda and I are neck-deep in. Feelings versus Faith.

I don’t know why God takes so long to answer our prayers at times. Sometimes my feelings attempt to wreak havoc with my faith. But I know God is good. I know he loves me more than I could imagine. And I know I can trust him. Like David, we can pour out our hearts to him. God has really big shoulders and he can handle our anger—even when he watches us struggle to put on a sweater when we have no arms.

Principle:  Sometimes God allows us to struggle in order for our character to grow.

Ponder:

●       What miserable situation have you recently struggled with?

●        How has this situation helped your character to grow?

Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Psalm 13.

Prayer: Loving Father, I know that you always want what’s best for me. Help me in my unbelief. Give me your perspective on my struggles.