A Little Help

Have you ever been in a very dry time in the Lord? Maybe you didn’t quit doing all the normal things you were supposed to do, but the whole time it felt like there was only a desert inside. I have recently come through another of those times, another learning experience in which the Lord has so graciously and patiently taught me a simple truth that I managed to miss in the past. During this desert time, I was still aware of the Lord’s nearness when in a corporate setting, even with only a few people. It was in the individual times, however, when I experienced the spiritual drought most profoundly. Though I recognized that condemnation was at work, it was almost as if I was helpless to fight it, so I was certain I had some sin God wasn’t yet showing me. I know this isn’t the way my Father acts with His children, yet I kept listening to the lie, so the heaviness got heavier. Situations in the natural were so heavy for me because I wasn’t drawing on His strength to continue going forward. The longer this went on, the harder it seemed even to try to reach for His strength.

I wanted to tell somebody some of the natural things going on, but I didn’t know what to say. I already knew what I needed to do, but wasn’t doing it; or when I did, it felt like I was trying to go uphill in mud that was up to my thighs, so progress was minimal, if at all. About the time I was at my lowest point, I received an email from an out-of-state friend telling me the Lord had put me on her heart, and that she was praying for me. She wasn’t asking me for more information, just letting me know that God cares and so does she. Do you know what a ray of Light – a ray of Christ’s hope – that was for me?! Just knowing that the Lord had done for me what He has done so many times for others through me was such a relief and reassurance, even though nothing else had changed. When I hadn’t taken the step to ask for the help I needed, and didn’t even see it as my need, my Father stepped in on my behalf through someone else. We see a very similar action on His part in the following story of Moses in battle:

Exodus 17:10-13 “¹⁰ So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. ¹¹ As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. ¹² When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up — one on one side, one on the other — so that his hands remained steady till sunset. ¹³ So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” NIV

From what we see, Moses never asked for help as he simply did what he was given to do. Aaron and Hur didn’t join in immediately; otherwise, they would never have recognized that when Moses’ hands went down in weariness their army faced defeat, and when they were up in strength, victory was theirs. Once they saw the need and came to Moses’ aid, Joshua and the Israelites were victorious. God knew what Moses’ real need was – strength to continue doing what he was doing – so He had Aaron and Hur come alongside, not to do the job, but to help fortify Moses.

A couple of days after I heard from my friend, while in my morning quiet time facing the same heavy problems and the same uphill struggle, I suddenly felt that heavy yoke of oppression break away so completely that I knew it was gone, glory to God! It was nothing I had prayed at that moment. It wasn’t that I finally saw a sin in my life that had been responsible for the heaviness. The situations that had been so heavy on me hadn’t changed. No, it had been simply an attack by the enemy of my soul, and I needed help in “holding up my hands” while the victory was won in battle. I didn’t know that I needed the help, but the Lord, in His great grace, mercy, and love for me, called for it.

2 Corinthians 2:14 “But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ's victory]” AMP

I thank God for leading me in triumph in Christ always! I thank Him also that He knows when I need help from others so I can stay in that place of triumph in Christ – and then He sees to it that I receive that help. I also thank Him for giving me such wonderful friends who are willing to pray for me until the victory comes!

Lord, help me be so yielded to You that I hear when You call for help, and remain steadfast in prayer for them until they, too, have the victory. In the wonderful name of Jesus Christ I pray and thank You! Amen!

© Copyright 2007 Kay V. Stocking