Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Have you ever been caught in a jam, where it seems like you cannot move forward or backwards? Have you ever received lots of free advice, and 99% of it was not helpful? Have you ever felt the weight of many eyes looking to you to “ figure it out”?
Our lives today are very complex, and we tend to fill every waking moment with work and activity. On top of this, we have many voices speaking at us. The incessant TV, radio, Facebook, blog posts, and other social media. All these voices tend to conflict and lead us into a state of confusion and irritation. In today’s world, a simple truthful answer is a rare and valuable gift.
King David, in his day, also had his share of trouble and strife. The Psalms are full of his musings and calls for relief from his woes. He had many advisers and friends that gave him advice and under-cut his leadership.
In Psalms 121: 1-2, David writes, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
David’s song is also our instruction to depend on God for our help and direction. All other earthly voices and advice should be weighed against the help and guidance that we receive from God’s word. This will help us sort out the confusing voices, and help us move in the right direction.
The writer of Hebrews, also encourages us to depend on the Lord as our helper. Hebrews 13:6 reads, “So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Looking back to verse 5, the context is that we should be content with what we have. We have a relationship with the eternally sovereign God of the universe. We have access to him and to his love and guidance and wisdom 24/7. What more could we possibly need?
And because of this fact, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we ought not live in fear. When we struggle with anxiety, fear, or confusion the gospel reminds us of our new identity. We are children of God purchased with the precious blood of Jesus. Our lives now have purpose (to glorify God), and our eternal destinies are secure because of Christ’s atoning work. “I have the Lord on my side, what can anyone do to me?” Ponder that for awhile.
How will our daily lives and decisions be different if we look to the word of God and seek His wisdom and guidance? How would our daily confidence level rise when each day we remind ourselves in the gospel that “The Lord is my helper, I will NOT fear”?
Ask God today for the faith to look to Him first, and ask for a little help.