Help


           
            When do you ask for help? Do you wait for all options to be spent? Or are you quick to realize that help is needed? I have been meditating on Psalm 46:1-3 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
            I have been contemplating the words, “an ever-present help in trouble.” It may just be semantics, but I keep wondering why wait until we are in trouble?  I am particularly fond of the song by Matt Maher, “Lord, I need You,” I especially connect with the refrain;
“Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You.”
This is truth! I need God in every moment of every day. He is the one I express my gratitude to for everything from waking up in the morning to my salvation through Christ. He is the one I turn to when I am stressed or dismayed to ask for His peace. My cries for forgiveness rise up to God. And, yes, when I am in trouble, I turn to God.
            As a nurse, I discuss the pain scale with my patients. The pain scale ranges from 0-10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being excruciating. Our goal after surgery is to get their pain to a 3 or less, in other words, tolerable. I always instruct patients to let us know if their pain gets to a 5 or so, because if we medicate at that point, we can hopefully get their pain below a 3. If they wait until they hit 9 or 10, we will struggle to get their pain under control.  I think our approach to God should be similar, He should not be the last-ditch effort when we’re at a 10 but rather our first thought in every situation; joy or sorrow, pain or tribulation, gratitude or grumbling, everything.
            Philippians 4:6, 7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
            In EVERY situation. Lord I need you!

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