God Helps in your Deep Need

 If we have no need, we do not need a miracle from God. If we can manage it humanly on our own, we often try to do just that.

• Barak Obama became president and tried to win the support of the world with the well-known words, ‘Yes, we can!’ But despite these words, he has failed in many ways.

•  Angela Merkel has taken the same line: ‘We can do it!’ She still says so, but has it worked?

• Politicians claim that Islam is a religion of peace, but where do we find peace in the Middle East?

   After 1990, a new era began, where the Russians were supposed to be our democratic partners in a new world order, but now we see a not-so-friendly leader in Moscow.

  Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will protect you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10
   
  God does not deceive us with false assurance and hollow promises. Where there is no threat, we do not need encouragement to overcome fear.
   
  The prophet David, king of Israel, had to confront real threats. He left us many psalms that testify to his struggle against fear.
  
  Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack.
  My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me.
  When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Ps 56:1–3 NIV
   
  These are our invincible weapons against fear, the testimonies of those who have overcome danger and fear.
   
  God's word is not just made up of dogmas and commandments, but also of totally reliable promises. They are reliable for two reasons.
  
  Firstly, they come from God, who will never let us down because he is completely truthful and also almighty.
  We can also rely on God's promises because they have been proven in hard times of affliction.
  
  God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Ps 46:1 NASB95
   
  The words in the Bible are not just words. God has kept his promises again and again in the Bible stories.
  
  I have seen time and again how God has saved me and others from death, illness, poverty and unemployment.
   
  So often we expect our parents, partners, friends, doctors, communities, employers or politicians to provide the help we urgently need. Sometimes we get help from people and sometimes they let us down.
  
  But God has never let me down. I have often seen God intervene in humanly impossible circumstances.
   
  It is often precisely in impossible situations that we have to make a decision. Should we panic or just seek human help? Panic doesn't work at all and passive resignation is like death itself.
  
  But we have a God who gave his son to death but then raised him from the dead. Jesus died so that we can always find a way out of any situation.
   
  Jesus said before his death:
  
  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
  and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Jn 11:25–26 NASB95
  
  God has work for the unemployed, healing for the sick, joy for the depressed, a future for the hopeless.
   
  When Christian children in Syria or Iraq are beheaded by terrorists because they refuse to become Muslims, they are immediately caught up and their souls appear in God's heaven, where they immediately receive God's comfort and love.
   
  Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
  For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
  You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Ps 16:9–11 NRSV

YOU CAN TRUST HIM WHEN YOU ARE DOWN

This life is often difficult. We have such high hopes and lovely dreams until reality hits us, people come against us or routine grinds us down. 

• We can easily lose sight of our dreams and lower our expectations of life.

• But if we read the Bible, God tells us to keep on believing more and more, not less and less.

When our earthly bodies grow weary, He calls us to Himself and reminds us we not only have a home in heaven but we will live in heavenly bodies like Jesus Himself after He returned from the grave.

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.

We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 2 Cor 5:1-2 (NLT)

But we don’t have to live out our earthly days in mediocrity and weakness. On the contrary, in our weakness we can turn to God and He will demonstrate His power on our behalf.

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 

Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Cor 12:9 (NKJV)  

This text is sometimes used to prove that the Apostle Paul suffered from a chronic illness and Jesus refused to heal him. It is used to teach that we should not confidently expect Jesus to heal us when we are sick.

A closer look at Paul’s story quickly shows this argument is quite wrong.

Five different times the Jews gave me their terrible thirty-nine lashes. 

Three times I was beaten with rods. 

Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I was in the open sea all night and the whole next day. 2 Cor 11:24-25 (TLB) 

 ... They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 

But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. Acts 14:18-20 (NIV)

Paul could not have continued his mission without repeated experiences of miraculous healing.

What should you do when you feel weak and burdened?

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Mt 11:28-30 (NKJV)

• Our life experiences are often far from easy and our burdens are often heavy but Jesus will add His strength to your strength. 

• A problem may be far too heavy for you to bear alone but when Jesus carries your burdens, you can actually move forwards instead of being paralysed.           

How can you turn to God?

• Have you put your whole life in His hands?

• Have you committed your life to following Jesus Christ? Have you believed and trusted that Jesus bore all your griefs and sorrows on the cross and your pains and sicknesses as well?

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6 (NKJV)   

Jesus willingly carried all our burdens to the cross, our sin and guilt, our failures and disappointments, our sickness and infirmities, our weakness and death.

He died so that you and I could live.

Jesus is the miracle worker. He can turn your darkness into light, a tragic defeat into an incredible turnaround. 

He can turn a mentally ill person into someone who changes lives with love and power and peace. I have seen it. I have experienced it.

If you are in darkness, call out to Him.

'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)