The Truth In Print, Volume
11 Issue 10, Nov. 2005.
A
Publication of the Valley
How Will God
Feel About You When You Ask Him For Help?
By Bob W. Lovelace
In this brief study we will consider three important questions relating to
those times when we need, desire, and ask for God’s help. I have used the
liberty of some bold facing and parenthetical remarks for emphasis and
application.
When you want God’s help how fast do you want Him there?
God’s children today are no different than in ages past, thus this plea:
“But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my
deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying” (Psalm 70:5). The word “haste” carries
with it the ideas of being ready and to hurry, and to do so with eagerness,
“with excitement or joy” (Strong’s Help, Hebrew 2363, chuwsh). When we ask for His help we do not want God to be a
procrastinator! Moreover, this is in full accord with what we are taught about God’s nature
and deliverance. Jeremiahs says we should glory in this, that we understand and
know God, that the Lord exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness
in the earth: ”for in these things I delight, saith the Lord” (Jer. 9:23-24;
Compare Lam. 3:55-57and Jer. 38:6ff).
Question: Is your own diligence in serving
and obeying God comparable with what you desire from Him when you ask for His
help and goodness?
Concurrent with one’s desire for help is the
“why”. Why do you seek His help? Always first is that I need forgiveness of my sins in
order to have eternal salvation. My responsibility is to “call” upon God: “For
Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to
all who call upon Thee” (Ps. 36:5). In general all want God’s help, even
agnostics, when they are in deep trouble; the thought of seeking “forgiveness”
in order to be saved from Sin is sadly missing in the vast majority who “try”
in some way to call upon God for deliverance. Some give ten percent thinking
God’s help is like Voodoo. To them it is something mysterious that “might”
serve their own desires – it might help one be successful, hit the lottery,
gain material respect from others, obtain a rich husband or wife, save one
humiliation, pain, etc. Few, however, have learned to connect their requests
for God’s goodness with their continued service in the faith that they might
rejoice in His salvation in Christ. (Cf. Ps. 9:13-14; 2 Th. 1:11; Act
26:22-23).
The Hebrew writer spoke of a boldness or
confidence manifested as we approach God’s throne in times of need (read Heb.
4:16). Here “boldly” simply means “all out-spokenness, i.e. frankness,
bluntness...by implication assurance…” (Strong’s Help parrhesia, Gk. 3954).
Also, here, the word “help” means “supporting cables” (Strong’s boetheia, Gk.
996; from Greek 998 (boethos); aid; specially a rope or chain for frapping
a vessel :- help.) See Acts 27:17, they used supporting cables. Christ is our High
Priest and being Lord He is certainly qualified to help: Heb. 4:15, Matt.
28:18-20; Eph. 1:22.
We must remember that what is according to
His will and pleasing in His sight is the important thing (Eph. 1:11). Facing
the day of trouble Habakkuk said, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and
the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and
there shall be no herd in the stalls: [18] Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I
will joy in the God of my salvation. [19] The Lord God is my strength, and he
will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high
places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19). What is always going on when we cannot state our needs frankly to God and
speak with confidence of salvation?
When we need Him to deliver us how far do we want Him from us?
Consider this plea: “O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my
help” (Ps. 71:12). One important aspect from the context of Ps. 71 is the
Psalmist’s confidence that his hope in and praise of God would be a continually
increasing thing, and that even in old age (Cf. Ps. 71:9, 14-18). Concerned
reader, When is God said to be “far” from one? Hear Jeremiah, “Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have
your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after
vanity, and are become vain? (Jer. 2:5). Answer: When one has gone far from
Him! Who leaves first, man or God? Notice they got so far from God that they
never thought about Him and what He had done for them in the past (Jer.
2:6-19). You are far from God when you forsake
Him when He leads you in the right way,
when you find your own wickedness correcting you while you possess no fear of
God! (Jer. 2:17-19). They brought this upon themselves, but notice what those who turn their
backs on God will do in a time of great trouble — “But in the time of their
trouble they will say, ‘Arise and save us’” (Jer. 2:26-29). Ezekiel taught when
you turn your back on God you turn your face to what is an abomination (Cf.
Ezk. 8:16). Question: Do you
think that God knows how to handle this? God returns to His place until we acknowledge our sins
and seek His face (Cf. Hosea 5:15). Just “saying” ourselves that God is near is
not enough: In their time of material prosperity God was near in their mouth,
but far from their minds! (read Jer. 12:1-2. It’s OK to talk about such like we
know today!). Concurrent with just “saying God is near” is that their fear of
God in this situation was what their false teachers told them it should be and
what they wanted it to be – “Wherefore
the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with
their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their
fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:” (Isa. 29:13). Hear Ezekiel, “And they come unto thee as
the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy
words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but
their heart goeth after their covetousness” (Ezk. 33:31). It is our sin that
“makes” God go far away (Cf. Ezk. 8:6).
The value of understanding these things
saves lives for some of these tests involve issues of physical death. The
Psalmist said, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even
the God of our salvation. Selah. [20] He that is our God is the God of
salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues (escapes) from death” (Ps.
68:19-20).
How do you want God to feel about you when you ask Him to help you?
David cried out and said, “Lord, I cry unto
thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. [2] Let
my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands
as the evening sacrifice” (Ps. 141:1-2). Both the incense on the altar and the
evening sacrifice were daily. Moreover they were not to offer what was
adulterated or something “new” that God did not prescribe (Cf. Ex. 30:1-10,
34-38; Lev. 10:1-3, this was not the Lord’s pattern). The evening sacrifice was
“pleasing” to God (Nu. 28). We want
God to be pleased to deliver us: “Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste
to help me” (Ps. 40:13). Compare the unpleasing thought in I Tim. 2:8 where men
in the local church are constantly in strife with each other.
As we study we want to examine the things that must be acknowledged and
stated to Him when there has been sin and a divided heart. Consider the following from Psalm 119:57-67, “Thou art
my portion (one whom you associate with), O Lord: I have said (promised,
and He has heard the promises) that I would keep thy words. [58] I intreated
thy favour with my whole (no longer divided) heart: be merciful unto me according
to thy word (read Ezk. 33:14-16). [59] I thought on my ways (read
Lk. 15:17-20), and turned (read Joel 2:13-14, tearing things up is not
repentance) my feet (get back in church and be faithful in attendance) unto
thy testimonies (God listens to these promises to see if they are sincere
and in accord with His word, read Jer. 8:6, 4-6). [60] I made haste (same
word we have been studying “chuwsh” #2363 to be eager with excitement and joy),
and delayed ( “to question, hesitate, be reluctant” ) not (the
excitement and not delaying is on OUR feet) to keep thy commandments.
[61] The bands of the wicked have robbed me (things hadn’t gone well when he
was delaying): but I have not forgotten thy law (he recognized this pattern is
in God’s law) . [62] At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because
of thy righteous judgments. [63] I am a companion (“knit together,
associate”) of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy
precepts. [64] The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy
statutes (he recognized the need for instruction). [65] Thou hast dealt
well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy word (Cf. Ezk. 33:14-16) .
[66] Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy
commandments. [67] Before I was afflicted (it was humbling)I went
astray: but now have I kept thy word.”
We are taught that God’s faithfulness is to
all generations, thus we must not read such scriptures as these and think that He
only did this “back then” (read Ps. 100:5). His goodness will always be to those who wait for Him, to
the person who “seeks” Him (Cf. Lament. 3:25). The word “seeks” is a short word with a big meaning. This
requires worship on a regular basis, means to ask of Him, to pray, to practice, to study, to follow, seek with
application having studied, to do so with care and truly caring for His things
that delight our souls.
Our calls for help must be “with thanksgivings” for the blessings we have
each day (Ps. 107:8-9; Eph. 5:20). We will be thanking Him long after deliverances and
often never quit recalling and thanking Him for major deliverances and helps in
our lifetime.
There is great fear of God as we come before Him and
to His goodness. Hosea said, “Afterward the
sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king;
and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days”
(Hosea 3:5). Paul said, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness
and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to
repentance?” (Rom. 2:4). Thinking lightly of His goodness and forbearance keeps
one from repentance!
We must know that God can and will defeat those who refuse His call. When God’s wisdom called what did fools do in Prov.
1:20-33? They had no problem with their feet making “haste” to do mischief! How
then will they defend against His wrath? One’s own “haste” to defend against
God’s wrath is like Nineveh preparing when God came against her, Nahum said
(Cf. Nah. 2:1-13). Here is
God’s blessing: “But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be
quiet from fear of evil” (Prov. 1:33).