Psalm 22: HELP (Part 7)

There’s a practical question that may seem silly in some ways. How will I know HELP! has come? That may seem like a stupid question. You’ll think the problem will be solved by disappearing. But in reality, there may be some things you need to do. First, Cry Out for HELP! often. Don’t stop. Don’t relent. Keep asking for God’s HELP!

But then we need to realize David probably did some stuff. David went to worship and he probably defended himself against his enemies to a reasonable degree. He prayed and he went to work. He was a man of action – praying AND doing.

Sometimes the answer to your HELP! cry will be taking advantage of those opportunities where people are trying to help. Finances in trouble? Take advantage of the myriad of financial resources available – Dave Ramsey, Crown Ministries, Saddleback did some good small group materials that our group used several months ago.

Marriage in trouble? Get counseling. HELP! is available. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Crying for HELP! isn’t just crying out. You may need to take some wise action.

On the flip side, it may be that we need to be committed to being the tools God uses to answer the calls for His help from others.

Haiti. They need help. There are a ton of opportunities to give to Haiti.

Fresh water wells. A village in India will likely have children alive this time next year because our church was used by God when they cried for HELP! (There will be tons of wells around the world because of Advent Conspiracy and Living Water. Check out this video.)

The homeless. Look for opportunities to care for those people forget … or ignore purposefully.

Adoption. Kay Warren and an associate were giving an interview online and they gave this statistic: If one family in every four churches adopted one child in America, there would be no more orphans in our country. None. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t adopt globally, but that’s a powerful way to think about it.

We can also be an answer in preventative maintenance. Get in a small group where you can build friendships that might pre-empt personal issues or relational conflict before they blow up.

As we experience HELP! from God, we experience His presence. And even if relief doesn’t come, as we cry out, God will eventually draw near to us and give us His presence in our pain.