There are times when one may face a challenge that seems insurmountable. The challenge simply stares you in the face and refuses to bulge. It is at times like this that we should reach for the help of God.
After trying frantically to overcome by one’s natural wisdom and experience, or through the help of others, you finally come to the realization that the problem is beyond your control. This is usually a solemn time; a time at which it is quite easy to lose hope and surrender to the turbulent storms of life, waiting for the end. Or you could turn your eyes to the Lord!
For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? Let us stand together: who is mine adversary? Let him come near to me. – Isaiah 50:7-8
This scripture is a battle cry. It is a declaration of confidence in the Lord. It displays a deep level of trust in the Lord and in the knowledge that He WILL help; not that He may or He probably will. As a result of this, you know you will not be ashamed and you can set your face like a flint; or in today’s language, be confident.
I know I shall not be ashamed!
David the sweet psalmist also sang and said, “God is a very present help in time of need”. He was faced time and again with situations which seemed hopeless but just as things were about to take a turn for the worse, he would turn to seek the face of the Lord and find deliverance.
It is important for us to know that God is a very present help in our times of need. The issue most times is that we seek his help and instructions as a final option. The scripture passage in Isaiah 50 quoted above carries a tone of confidence in God and disregard for the enemy. He is literally challenging his enemy to a fight, knowing God will help him win. It carries an unmistakable tone of certainty and assurance in the fact that God will help:
“For the Lord God WILL help me…and I know I SHALL NOT be ashamed”.
Be confident in God
Just like Isaiah the Prophet, we can also be confident in the help of God. Not just in the fact that God can help us but in the fact that God will help us. You do not have to bow down to that situation or circumstance. You don’t have to lie down in defeat or surrender to the enemy. Not when you have a very present help in the person of your God; the Lord God Almighty!
How to get the Help of God
Let’s take a brief look at the issue of Faith. A simple definition of faith is believing that God can do “it” and acting like you know he will do “it”. The word “it” in our definition refers to whatever you desire God to do for you. In essence, if you believe God can step into that situation and change things for you, then you have to talk like you believe it and act in a manner that shows that you believe God will help. For example, if you believe God will step into your situation and save your house from foreclosure, then you won’t move your things from the house or start looking for another apartment.
The second thing you must do in order to receive the help of God is to go to him and ask for his direction on what to do. When the families of David and his men were captured in 1 Samuel 30 and it looked like they had lost everything, he sought the face of God. God instructed him to pursue and that he would surely recover all. To show his faith, David and his men pursued and just as God said, they recovered all and also got great spoils from the war.
In conclusion, what has the Lord told you to do about that situation? Are you doing what he said you should do? Are your actions a proof of your faith or do they show that you have lost all hope? God is a VERY present help in time of need. You can trust in the help of God and rest assured that he won’t fail you when you need him most. Just put your faith and trust in him, find out what he wants you to do and do it without questioning the wisdom behind his instruction. As you do this, you can be certain that just like Isaiah, you will not be ashamed.
David Adeniji is the Founder and President of The Behold File, a teaching ministry founded in 2003. The Behold File provides a platform through which the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of men to see Jesus so they can be changed to be like him.