When There is None to Help

Be not far from me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Psalm 22:11 (New American Standard Bible)

For any who have looked in places or to sources other than God, these words will eventually be their own. There are so many verses in the Psalms in which David is expressing the thoughts of my own heart. His cries for deliverance and help, his hunger for God, his feelings of loneliness and distress, his fears and insecurities, and his realization that God is his refuge and strength. Often are the times I relate with him!

People can do a lot of things for me. They can cheer me up, encourage me, walk with me through issues, comfort me, pray for me, advise me, draw my attention back toward God, and just be there for me. But I am coming to realize what they cannot do is deliver me from the troubles of life or the turmoils of my internal world.

There are 367 verses in the Old Testament alone that speak of deliverance. Most refer to deliverance from troubles, enemies, sin, or weaknesses. In those cases, it is God who is doing the delivering or being asked to do the delivering. For they saw what we need to see….God is the only true Helper and Deliverer! Thinking we can do it ourselves or that we can find someone to do it for us will eventually lead to disappointment and discouragement.

That use to bother me but any more it becomes a life lesson to me because it brings me back to the truth that God is the One I need. David said it this way many times, “You, O Lord, are my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Strength, my Helper, my Healer, my Redeemer, my Hiding Place, my Shelter, my Restorer, my Protector, my Counselor, my Guide, my Instructor, my Stronghold, my Defense, my God…..my All in all!” Within any situation or circumstance, that list needs to become my personal mantra. No one else’s name can or should be slipped into it! No one!

Once this becomes settled in my heart and mind, it will be easier for me to see the place people ARE suppose have. It will no longer be a “balancing act” for me to see when I should seek out the help and advice of others. For now, that still is not clear and I am looking to God teach me the truth. He alone knows what hinders and blocks me from being free in this area.

Father, David knew how to cry out to You for EVERYTHING! I want to live my life like that. Teach me and change me! Amen.