I’m standing outside of an ICU room staring at my dad who’s fighting for his life. His doctor and nurse are trying to put a feeding tube into his stomach. Suddenly, an alarm sounds off—he’s stopped breathing. The nurse moves quickly to call for another assistant, and within a few minutes they’ve managed to stabilize dad’s breathing.
I feel so helpless.
Events over the last month have added up. Added to the hospitalization of my dad, one of my wife’s best friends died from cancer. There’s also been a dissolving of several close friendships due to divisive gossip.
Many dear people have surrounded me with prayer and encouragement, but my heart is heavy and my energy is running low. Last night I couldn’t sleep. 3:30am and my mind was racing with everything going on. A sense of hopelessness and futility overwhelmed me. I could feel the assault of darkness. “Jesus, help me” I whispered into the night. Something happened.
Peace came into my room, and into my thoughts. I began to thank the Lord for His help, and for the next two hours I laid one thing after another at His feet. The settling of my worry and uncertainty really surprised me, but it shouldn’t have because I know better.
God has always been so faithful and helpful, but it’s amazing how long I can lean on the arm of the flesh. I know I can’t do anything without him, but I sure try. I know that he only gives grace to the humble and strength to the weak, but I don’t act like it.
The people who have come to the end of themselves are the ones who see the greatest move of God. This is why God’s Spirit is able to do so many things in places where there is so little. Think about the early church. It was dangerous to be a Christian. Herod was killing the apostles. He had killed John the Beloved’s brother James by the sword, and now set his sights on Peter.
Peter was put in a jail cell with 16 soldiers guarding him. What could the other Believers do when they heard about Peter’s arrest? They had no money. They had no political leverage. They had no influence. They were helpless. But they had God.
“Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” (Acts 12:5)
Their prayers summoned God to send an angel who rescued Peter. His chains were broken and the angel led him out of the jail through a locked iron gate right under the noses of the guards. Peter came to the house where his friends were gathered. We are told many were there and that they were still praying.
Prayer is the key. It’s turning things over to God. It’s telling Him that you don’t know what to do, that you’re scared, that you’re helpless. While the “when” and the “how” of prayer are not always clear, one thing remains absolutely a fact: GOD ANSWERS PRAYER!
It’s when you give up on all other options, or don’t even have an option to give up on, that God moves.
“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13)
I’m learning to be thankful that God is allowing me to come to end of my own resources. When there is no plan B, C, or D, and I feel totally helpless, I’m actually in the best place, because it’s from here, and only from here, that I can access all the resources of heaven. He’s the God of the helpless! And He’s my God!
Add a Comment