Help, Lord?
by Ruth Olsen
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Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; and he brought them out of their distress (Psalm 107:28).
Read Psalm 107:1–3,23–32
On my first reading of these assigned verses for today, I wondered about the connection to the Bible readings this week referring to the kingdom of God being like seeds, and the happenings of Acts 1–2. Then, our focus verse today caught my attention. It’s like a refrain, repeated from verses 6, 13 and 19, together with the regular liturgical call to give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love in verses 1, 8, 15, 21 and 31.
This psalm tells of deliverance for those lost in the trackless desert (verses 4–9), from the punishment of foreign bondage (verses 10–16) or wasting disease (verses 17–22), and now from the perils of the sea in pursuit of trade (verses 23–32). Surely we can identify with their fears?
Yet when we try to do things the way we think best, we can so easily do our own thing instead of following the Lord’s leading. We have the same inclination to rebel, be deaf, not seek the Lord’s leading nor heed the Lord’s voice – often because we do not recognise it. Often, it’s only when we are in trouble and distress that we remember to cry out to the Lord for help. But, as this psalm reminds us, he hears us!
As Jesus promised, and Acts 1–2 reminds us, the Father has sent his Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name to be our Helper (John 14:26). Do we trust Jesus? Do we trust Abba Father? Do we trust the Holy Spirit? They are three persons, one God, as we confess and declare on earth and into the heavenlies whenever we speak the Nicene Creed.
Yes, things in life will scare us. Sometimes, we will feel the winds and waves of life toss us up and down! When Peter kept his focus on Jesus, he was enabled to do something that surprised him and the other disciples (Matthew 14:22–33). We have been given a Helper, working from the inside out, training us to maintain our focus on Jesus. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).
Lord Jesus, Abba Father, help us grow in trusting your Spirit’s leading every day. Amen.
Ruth and her husband Steen have notched up their 50th anniversary this year. By the time you read this devotion, they will be exploring the beauties of creation somewhere in Europe on a long-delayed adventure, trying to put to use some of the French Ruth has been learning in recent years.
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