Hey, Mr Self-Reliant…Psssssttt, Ms. Born-To-Handle-Things…listen up because I have a word for you when the cracks in your capability are starting to appear. We can sometimes fall into the trap that God got things started on our behalf and then turned over the reins for us to carry it forth on our own from that point forward. Occasionally we live as if the ultimate outcome of our earthly endeavors rested squarely upon our own shoulders. Let’s admit it: we often believe that we had better turn it up a notch or two if there is going to be a favorable outcome for us in the race of life. We live in the pressurized culture of “do more” and “never enough” – this flavors a lot of how we are living out our days. Do you ever hear your own voice saying:
- If only I had more time…
- If only more people were in my corner…
- If only I were more attractive, had more money, knew more success…
- I’m never going to be good enough for…
- I’m not gifted or dedicated enough to have…
- I don’t love enough or pray enough or give enough or serve enough…
- I’m just not sacrificial enough for God…
Your list might be different but the melody of this defeated song is the same for all of us when we fall into this trap. We really believe that our “more’s” and “enough’s” are the only keys to experiencing victory, fulfillment and/or glory for God. Yet, listen to what the Psalmist said.
“Let Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your commandments.” – Psalm 119:173
The boldness of the Psalmist’s expectation involved just a few things. When he stated that he had chosen God’s commandments, he was declaring to God that he was intentionally following God’s revealed truth. This indicates that his heart had been brought low and that there was a time when he purposefully chose to submit to the wisdom of God and abandon reliance on his own ingenuity or ability. There was a moment when he really understood how desperately he needed God and this led to him exchanging trusting in himself for trusting in his God. I love that the result of this choice to trust God’s word and ways resulted in the Psalmist’s boldness to fully expect God to help him as he followed his Lord. What he wrote almost carries the scent of reminding God that he really needed Him and not in some misty, theological manner. He told God that he needed Him to ready His mighty hand because some divine assistance was going to be required. In essence, the Psalmist wrote that he knew that he would be in over his head at some point and that he had full confidence that God’s hand would be ready to move when needed. He asserted both his own need for assistance and his confidence that God would be ready. This is communication from the heart of a child who knows that he or she is not big enough for what’s out there…but that Daddy is.
Have you reminded yourself of that recently? Have you been bold to say to God that you were exchanging your self-reliance for Savior-reliance? Is it possible that you have spent too much time trying to figure out what needs to be done, how to make it happen and what to do with the results? We do that instead of looking upward as a helpless child to our mighty Father and saying, “I need Your help. I need it soon. Let Your hand be ready, Lord.” Grace teaches us that God delights in coming to our rescue. In fact, I’m becoming more convinced that this sense of rescue characterizes the whole of God’s work on our behalf. Rescue from sin. Rescue from guilt. Rescue from judgment. Rescue from trouble (even trouble we create ourselves!) Rescue from shame. Rescue from self…and, eventually, rescue from this world and into the unspeakably glorious city to come. Why then do we so intermittently approach Him with our need for Him to help us? That’s one of His cherished activities on your behalf! Don’t forget that in the midst of your confusion, cluelessness, weariness and frustration. God helps, and not begrudgingly. He would help much more if we only asked.
So I’m going to spend some time today agreeing with the Psalmist that I need God’s hand to be ready. I need His hand to mold my mind and heart. I need His hand to protect me and my family. His hand is ready to provide all that I need and, likely, some of what I desire beyond that need. His hand anoints and directs and beckons and steadies. His hand smacks down demons and limits human enemies with divinely bestowed barriers between them and you. The Almighty hand of God applies pinpoint balm to the open wounds of our hearts as He works healing in the deepest sense. That hand…that glorious hand…that omnipotent hand that fashioned all in existence…that same hand wipes away our tears (Revelation 21:4) for all of eternity.
Right now that hand is reaching for you. Right where you are. Expect it. Believe it. Take it.