Waiting for God to Help

Have you ever called 911?  Unfortunately, help is not always immediately available, and those who need to be rescued from water, fire, or any other danger must wait.  It may only be a matter of minutes before help arrives, but it can seem like an eternity as you wait anxiously for that much needed help.

The call for help must be dispatched out to rescuers who quickly prepare for the situation by gathering whatever special equipment may be necessary for rescue.  When we are drowning in life’s problems, we expect God to instantly deliver us once we call out for help, but the reality is sometimes we may find ourselves waiting.   Psalms 34:17 says, “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.  He rescues them from all their troubles.”  It doesn’t say that God will immediately remove us from the situation.  It says He will hear our cry, and He will rescue us. Just as in calling 911, God’s help doesn’t always come as quickly as we would like.  Sometimes He must make preparations for our rescue.  Maybe our heart or the hearts of others need to be prepared before our rescue is completed.  So we must wait for His timing.

After receiving the call and preparing for the situation, the rescuers must get to the victim.  Unfortunately, sometimes we make it hard for God to reach us.  Like a drowning victim who may push down their rescuer, we actually push God away as he reaches for us.  We want His help but our instinct to survive causes us to thrash in the water.  For example, when He tries to deliver us, we insist on doing things our own way because we don’t like His plan or aren’t willing to wait for His rescue plans to be revealed.  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6NIV Wait for His plan to be revealed. 

We expect God’s rescue to immediately remove every difficulty from our lives.  However, keep in mind that when a victim is rescued from danger, there are often injuries that require medical attention and healing.  After God rescues us from our troubles, we too may have issues that require His attention and time for healing.  We must allow Him to care for our wounds and not push Him away as soon as we are rescued.  God can heal our heart and pain, but the healing process takes time. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 Wait for His complete healing in your life.  

Psalms 34 continues with “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit” (v18).  This does not say that He heals the broken heart, but instead He is near…like a mother is near to comfort us in our pain.  A mother may not always fix the problem, but having her near definitely generates strength and comfort in most any circumstance.  God’s plan doesn’t always including removing our problem, but we can trust that He will always be near to give strength and peace while easing our suffering.  But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31  Trust that He is close when you’re crushed by the struggles of life.

So in times of trouble, remember to wait for His timing, wait for His plan to be revealed, wait for healing, and finally trust that He is near.

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/132033298@N04/28636303792″>Midnight Sunset in Glacier Bay</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>(license)</a&gt;