Where does my help come from? And when does it arrive?

Oh, my God, He will not delay,

My refuge and strength always

I will not fear the way, I will not fear the storm,

My help is on the way, my help is on the way

-- Kristian Stanfill

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber

--The Psalmist

 

Oh, uh, er, well, help me, O God

-- Me

 

Life throws curves, when we're expecting fastballs. So, what do we do when this occurs? Panic? Worry? Stumble? Fall?

 

Uh, yeah, but that's not the true answer. What we should do is turn to our refuge, our strength, our help, the Maker of heaven and earth. That's what we should do. 

With great confidence I can begin by telling you that God is right there next to us even if the storm is raging and we can’t sense His presence. He promised that He would never leave or forsake us  The key is to figure out how to get our eyes off of the storm, and on the One who can help you calm it.

 

Do you remember the story in scripture where Jesus came walking on the water? The disciples in the boat were terrified of both the storm and this figure they saw coming towards them. Understandably so. I am sure I would be unsettled as well. So would you.   

However, in the midst of their confusion and fear, Jesus spoke revealing himself and telling them there was no reason to be afraid. We don’t know how the others in the boat responded, but Peter; bold, courageous, impetuous, and dangerous Peter; decided he wanted to walk out to Jesus

And he did…for a while. The storm was raging, but Peter was walking. The water churned beneath Him, but he was so captivated by the One who had given him permission to walk on the water, that he didn’t even notice. At first that is.

After a while, he got a little confident and decided to look around. That is when the circumstances got the best of him. When he took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink.

But, Jesus was right there next to him. The Savior of the World picked him up and put him in the boat.

Here's what I know. When conflict in church or life happens, it is absolutely the best policy to stop and look to where God is working.

Turning our eyes to the mountain, to the creator, the lover of us all more than we can possibly imagine, is the policy, the belief-system, that rings not only true but more importantly rings as the only help.

 I know that there are people in life who feel as if the storm is too much for them. Their circumstances are overwhelming and their emotions are telling them there is no hope for improvement and no way they can survive…but that is not the truth. No matter how drastic our situation, God is right there with us, and he will sustain us. But, we have to keep looking at Him. He is the One who can calm our storm. He is the One who can give us hope. And, He is the One who can change any circumstance. 

I stake my sanity on that.