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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Help! I Need Somebody...

One of the prayers sent up to God most frequently, if not the most, is just two words: "Help me!" Well, I have some good news for those of us who often cry out in this way (or mutter it under our breath)... God will help us! I was profoundly reminded of this recently in my daily reading from Charles Spurgeon's devotional Morning and Evening, which I have committed to go through this year with my son. (You can get a copy of it here: http://www.cvbbs.com/.)

I will reproduce Spurgeon's January 16 morning entry here with the language somewhat updated, so all the "thees" and "thous" don't get it anyone's way...

"I will help you, says the Lord."
Isaiah 41:14

Let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each of us: "I will help you. It is but a small thing for Me, your God, to help you. Consider what I have done already. What! Not help you? Why, I bought you with My blood. What! Not help you? I have died for you; and if I have done the greater, will I not do the less? Help you! It is the least thing I will ever do for you; I have done more, and will do more. Before the world began I chose you. I made the covenant for you. I laid aside My glory and became a man for you; I gave my life for you; and if I did all this, I will surely help you now. In helping you, I am giving you what I have bought for you already. If you had need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it to you; you require little compared with what I am ready to give. 'Tis much for you to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow. 'Help you?' Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of your granary asking for help, it would not ruin you to give him a handful of your wheat; and you are nothing but a tiny insect at the door of my all sufficiency. 'I will help you.'"

O my soul, is not this enough? Do you need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Do you want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit? Bring hither your empty pitcher! Surely this well will fill it. Haste, gather up your wants, and bring them there--your emptiness, your woes, your needs. Behold, this river of God is full for your supply; what can you desire beside? Go forth, my soul, in this your might. The Eternal God is your helper!

"Fear not, I am with thee, oh be not dismayed!
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand."