HELP! What do I do?
Stop drop and pray
When there is a problem in your life, what is your first response? Who do you turn to? What do you turn to?
Do you panic? Do you scream? Do you cry? Do you reach out to friends or family in those moments? Perhaps you resort to worldly options, things that soothe you in the moment but only offer temporary comfort.
Do you get mad at God? Maybe you scream at Him and demand answers why the “hits just keep on coming” or why things aren’t better in your life. Do you blame God for your problems, or do you find your first response is to cry out to Him for help and beg for mercy?
It seems like every time you turn around there is a test in life for you to deal with, right? Leaving you to feel like you can’t catch a break, or catch your breath between each unwelcome event. Or maybe you feel like the hits never end, connected one after the other.
Why do bad things continue to happen in your life? Why doesn’t God prevent them from happening? Let’s go to His Word and find out.
What does God say about bad things happening?
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
💥 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” James 1:2-8
There is not a day that goes by that you don’t need help getting through the day. Some struggle more than others trying to battle the challenges in their own strength, while others breeze through or have a support system in place to help. Regardless, everyone needs help. God’s Word offers hope and assurance that when these trials come, God is testing your faith. He only does that because He loves you. He wants to stretch and grow your faith in Him through the tests and trials. If you choose to trust Him, these moments draw you closer to Him. Through the stretching of your faith, you discover His joy in the process
God doesn’t care about me or what I’m going through
It was never God’s intention for you to do life without Him. He has loved you since before time began. He knew you before He placed you in your mother’s womb. Don’t take my word for it, let’s see what He says. Here you will see how much He loves you and that He grows your faith in Him for a reason, not to punish you but to teach you. If you think your life isn’t worth living, read His truth here and find out how much He loves you and that He has a purpose for you. You were not meant to strive to get through each day and every trial alone. Other people are not responsible for your happiness. Happiness is a fleeting emotion that we should never seek, but rather we are to seek joy. God is the provider of your lasting joy, that is a free gift you receive when in a close relationship with Him. When we have joy, we can carry it through our trials with us; it’s part of our arsenal to forge through the battle.
“Here is what Adonai says, your Redeemer, he who formed you in the womb: “I am Adonai, who makes all things, who stretched out the heavens all alone, who spread out the earth all by myself.” Isaiah 44:24
“Listen to me, house of Ya`akov, all who remain of the house of Isra’el: I have borne you from birth, carried you since the womb.” Isaiah 46:3
“Coastlands, listen to me; listen, you peoples far away: Adonai called me from the womb; before I was born, he had spoken my name.” Isaiah 49:1
“So now Adonai says—he formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Ya`akov back to him, to have Isra’el gathered to him, so that I will be honored in the sight of Adonai, my God having become my strength—“ Isaiah 49:5
“Can a woman forget her child at the breast, not show pity on the child from her womb? Even if these were to forget, I would not forget you. I have engraved you on the palms of my hands, your walls are always before me.” Isaiah 49:15-16
Here He even comforts those who have been abandoned by a parent and lets us know that even though parents leave us, He never leaves us.
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I separated you for myself. I have appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
See how much He cares for you? When you study the entire Bible beginning in Genesis straight through to Revelation, you discover the depth of His love in the whole story. Studying the Bible was never designed to be read in random scripture pieces that can be taken out of context, like the popular “popcorn” or “Bible roulette” methods where you just open your Bible and find a verse. It’s like any other book in the sense that you must read it cover to cover to understand the whole story.
Where does my help come from?
There is a widepath of people who think they are born into this world and then have to figure out alone how to navigate through life the best they can until they die. Some go to church, and some don’t. These people have many theories and schools of thought about the “God of Heaven.” Here are a few:
- He doesn’t care about me
- He’s to busy for me
- He doesn’t exist
- He didn’t create the world
- He didn’t create me
- He only cares about my soul, not my daily life
- He’s mean
- He’s unfair
All of those statements are contrary to everything the Bible teaches us. Test everything you hear against scripture to find out if it’s true. (1 Thessalonians 5:21) Toss out what doesn’t align with His Word.
The majority of the world has adopted one or more of those beliefs and they are the most miserable, lost, unhappy people. Believing the lies causes them to search out anything the world offers in hopes of finding lasting peace; only to discover it’s all fake and a temporary fix. When it doesn’t work, they get caught in a cycle of desperately looking for hope and peace from the world with none to be found away from the God of Heaven. Some will still blame God for not helping even though they didn’t ask for help, or take the time to have a relationship with Him. Feeling all alone, and to prideful and stubborn to return and repent to God, they continue to spiral while they get sucked into worshipping the things they are told will help them get through the trials.
Let me ask you something, does the god you worship breathe? Is your god made of crystal, glass, wood, marble, or from any other manmade material? Perhaps your faith is in the sun, moon, and stars? If so, your gods are not alive! They can’t help you. Let’s see what God’s Word says about this.
“This is what the LORD says: “Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though other nations are terrified by them. Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over. Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.” Jeremiah 10:2-5
The ONLY Living God, is the God of Heaven, YHWH, Adonai our God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the only God that is alive and breathing. The only God that created this world, and created you and gave you breath. The same God that loves you and wants a relationship with you. He is the only one that can help you in your time of need.
“LORD, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power. Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like you. People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood!” Jeremiah 10:6-8
“But the LORD is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath. Say this to those who worship other gods: “Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens.”
But the LORD made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens. When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power. Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed. But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, his own special possession. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name!” Jeremiah 10:10-16
The Living God, who created you, allows the trials to draw you to Him and test your faith. He has special plans for you. Get to know Him, spend time with Him and ask Him what they are?
Back to the wilderness you go
For more teaching
Where is your hope? If you are not putting it in God, you will never find true peace and joy. God is trying to test your faith and grow you. He wants to show you your Promised Land that He has for you, the place where He wants to spoil you while you fulfill your purpose for Him.
Let’s look at His Word again and see how this played out for the Israelites. He has these stories to teach us because each of these stories are relevant to our lives from one day to the next; study them, learn from them so that you are prepared for the trials when they come. Together God will go through each of them with you.
In Deuteronomy, 11 months out of Egypt and still in their wildness of testing, God takes the Israelites to a hill where they can see the Promised Land. He has Moses send spies to check out the land; one from each tribe. Two of the twelve that went said, “we got this, God is on our side.” The other 10 said it was scary, there were giants, and that they would be devoured if they tried to run the occupants out of the land. God was angry at their lack of faith that He would go with them to the Promised Land and drive out the Canaanites. As a result of their lack of faith, God sent His people back out to the wilderness for more testing and trials to stretch their faith in Him. It took 39 years to teach them to trust Him before He allowed them into the Promised Land. They were stubborn and stiff-necked, so it took a lot of testing. They still made mistakes, and there were still lessons to be learned, but He chose to allow them to take the land knowing He still had lots to teach them.
Just like He tested them and lead them through the wilderness, He does that for His followers today. He will bless our efforts. We will still make mistakes, but as long as we are clinging to Him and working hard to walk in His Ways, He gives us grace as He continues to stretch, prune, refine, and teach us. That’s what a loving Heavenly Father does, our Adonai, our God.
Before you self-righteously judge, we are much like the Israelites. That’s why many of us have spent most of our lives in the wilderness. The good news, God loves you and is still calling you to return to Him, trust Him, follow and obey Him. As you continue to do the opposite and sin, there will continue to be tough testing in the wilderness until you start trusting Him. Whatever you do during the testing though, don’t go back to “Egypt.” God wants you dependent on Him, not the “Egypt’s” of the world that have worldly help and advice.
Don’t go back to Egypt
It’s better to stay with God in the wilderness than to return to Egypt for help. When we return to Egypt, we are telling God, that we don’t trust Him to care for our needs.
Woe to Those Who Go Down to Egypt
“What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. In his wisdom, the LORD will send great disaster; he will not change his mind. He will rise against the wicked and against their helpers. For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God! Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits! When the LORD raises his fist against them, those who help will stumble, and those being helped will fall. They will all fall down and die together.” Isaiah 31:1-3
What does it mean to us today not to go back to “Egypt”? Don’t turn to the world for help; turn to God ONLY!
“Like hovering birds, Adonai-Tzva’ot [Lord of Hosts] will protect Yerushalayim. In protecting it, he will rescue it; in sparing it, he will save it. People of Isra’el! Return to him to whom you have been so deeply disloyal! For on that day everyone will discard his idols of silver and idols of gold, which you made for yourselves with your own sinful hands.” Isaiah 31:5-7
“Look! Relying on Egypt is like using a broken stick as a staff—when you lean on it, it punctures your hand. That’s what Pharaoh king of Egypt is like for anyone who puts his trust in him.” Isaiah 36:6
God told Abraham not to go to Egypt. He told Isaac and He told the Israelites, over and over and over not to go back to Egypt. They didn’t listen, and as a result they found lessons to test their faith in an attempt to lead them back to Adonai. Some learned, repented and returned, others didn’t. Regardless, everyone pays the price for disobedience. For those who repent and return to God, He walks through their consequences with them, helping them feel safe and find joy in the journey as they learn and grow in their faith in Him. The stubborn and prideful ones who choose not to return to God, suffer greatly in their consequences. You have a choice which path you take; don’t let pride get in your way of your peace and joy. Let go of your pain and give it to Him.
“Stop dwelling on past events and brooding over times gone by; I am doing something new; it’s springing up—can’t you see it? I am making a road in the desert, rivers in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19
Return to me
In God’s Word, He continually calls us to come back to Him, return to Him, and to remember what He has done for us.
“But there in his splendor Adonai will be with us, in a place of rivers and broad streams. But no boat with oars will go there, no majestic ship will pass by.” Isaiah 33:21
“Come close, you nations, and listen! Pay close attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and everything in it; the world, with all it produces.” Isaiah 34:1
All of us have sinned and don’t deserve God’s grace and mercy. Thankfully grace and mercy are free; we can’t earn them. We should be grateful that He doesn’t give us what we deserve, which is judgement for all sin. It is grace that He gives to His followers who try hard not to make mistakes. It’s mercy that He gives those who don’t follow Him and intentionally sin in their lost state of mind. He still calls them to return to Him, for now. There will come a time when He will stop calling. Don’t wait until then to stop, drop and pray. Repent and ask for His forgiveness and ask Him to show you the way to follow Him to receive His everlasting peace and joy.
Where does your Hope come from?
Study His Word to know truth – Find hope and joy!
“Consult the book of Adonai, and read it: not one of these will be missing, none will be lacking a mate. For by his own mouth he gave the order, and by his Spirit he brought them together.” Isaiah 34:16
“The desert and the dry land will be glad; the `Aravah will rejoice and blossom like the lily. It will burst into flower, will rejoice with joy and singing, will be given the glory of the L’vanon, the splendor of Karmel and the Sharon. They will see the glory of Adonai, the splendor of our God. Strengthen your drooping arms, and steady your tottering knees. Say to the fainthearted, “Be strong and unafraid! Here is your God; he will come with vengeance; with God’s retribution he will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped;then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the mute person’s tongue will sing. For in the desert, springs will burst forth, streams of water in the `Aravah; the sandy mirage will become a pool, the thirsty ground springs of water. The haunts where jackals lie down will become a marsh filled with reeds and papyrus.
A highway will be there, a way, called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not pass over it, but it will be for those whom he guides—fools will not stray along it.” Isaiah 35:1-8
“I will go ahead of you, levelling the hills, shattering the bronze gates, smashing the iron bars. I will give you treasures hoarded in the dark, secret riches hidden away, so that you will know that I, Adonai, calling you by your name, I am the God of Isra’el.” Isaiah 45:2-3
“I am the one who made the earth! I created human beings on it! I—my hands—stretched out the heavens, and directed all their number.” Isaiah 45:12
“Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth!
For I am God; there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22
Pur your hope in the God of Heaven, Adonai, your Heavenly Father. Allow Him to test your faith and stretch you, to prepare you for what is to come. Learn to welcome the tests because that means His eyes are on you to help you and teach you. He is trying to show you His indescribable love for you. Fall into His arms and rest there while He carries you through.
God bless you and keep you.