2Gi5

“You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.” (Psalms 139:3, 6)

“His left hand is under my head, And his right hand embraces me.” (Song of Solomon 2:6)

This is a description of the Groom embracing his bride, a picture depicting God’s love for humans...

It can also describe God as a Father, and fathers know when they carried their children as babys they often looked like what's described here: one hand under the head and another embracing 

“As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.” (Psalms 103:13)

But God is promising to be Father to the fatherless, help to those who have none

“But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.” (Psalms 10:14)

In His love, He holds our hands, walking us through life’s hills and valleys, like a father holding his child’s hands

“I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms; But they did not know that I healed them.” (Hosea 11:3)

Not only is His love promised now, but to the very end...

Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you. (Isaiah 46:4)

“To him who overcomes … I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” (Revelation 2:17)

This is one of my favourite verses in the Bible, it gives hope in what’s to come, in God’s ability to transform our reality…I imagine that new name would be one that summarises our life, our relationship with God and how he’d made us walk through fire unscathed.

There is many stories in the Bible were God gave people new names, let’s take a couple of examples:

"And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah."

(Genesis 41:45)

There is various opinions about the meaning of this name including preserver of life, revealer of secrets and saviour of the world.

But regardless of which one is correct, it seals the transformation that God has brought about in Joseph’s life after years of suffering, lifting him to second man in the Egyptian kingdom.

Another person whose name got changed is Jacob.

And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” (Genesis 32:26)

God then gave him the name Israel which among the interpretations possible, means Prince of God or that who struggles with God.

Another apt description of this struggle is in Hosea 12:

'He took his brother by the heel in the womb, And in his strength he struggled with God. Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favour from Him. He found Him in Bethel, And there He spoke to us—'

(Hosea 12:3-4)

So the struggle and prevailing does not only refer to the world, but also involves struggling and prevailing with God.

Of course not in the literal sense, what it means is being persistent, metaphorically struggling with God in prayer until we are slowly transformed.

When we struggle with God bringing all our difficulties and weaknesses, our eyes filled with tears and disappointment, then we prevail, our eyes overcome him.

"Turn your eyes away from me, For they have overcome me." (Song of Solomon 6:7)

All we need to do is let him in.

“These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”

Revelation 3:7-8

We sometimes describe God as the opener of closed doors. Doors that are shut in our face can all be flung wide open by His power.

“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt...Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt”

Genesis 41:44, 46

When Joseph’s brothers conspired to kill him, seemingly all the doors started to shut in his face. He was thrown in a pit, then sold as a slave, then falsely accused of attempting to assault his master's wife and was thrown into prison. This period lasted about 13 years. Yet, one night and two dreams turned all this upside down. And the highest door in the land, pharaoh’s door was flung wide open for Joseph to enter and be made second to pharaoh.

“But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.”

1 Corinthians 16:8-9

St. Paul, despite facing opposition, had the door to preaching and serving Christ open up in front of him. How many times do we despair in the church from a certain ministry that is seemingly unsuccessful or certain people who would not respond to Christ or to sound advice. We need to know that Christ can open the door and let us in.

Finally, Christ can also shut the door and the most remarkable example is the gates of hades.

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Matthew 16:18

We call God our Father, but He is also God Almighty, who has all the keys and all authority in heaven and on earth. Let us rest in Him and be strong in our faith. Amen.

“But, O LORD of hosts, You who judge righteously, Testing the mind and the heart, Let me see Your vengeance on them, For to You I have revealed my cause.” Jeremiah 11:20

What happens when we are faced by challenges and problems? How do we react? And what is our first natural response?

Some people despair, others call for help, others run to God. Jeremiah was one who ran to God. He made his case known to Him and trusted in His justice.

Many of the righteous people ran to God for deliverance from their troubles.

“I cry out to the LORD with my voice; With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble.” Psalms 142:1-2

David knew that God was the One to deliver, the just Judge and the Omniscient God.

“But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.” Psalms 10:14

Pope Kerolos the 6th lived a life of prayer and put everything on the altar, all his problems and difficulties. He liked the following verse from Jeremiah’s Lamentations:

“It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.” Lamentations 3:26

Together with Jeremiah, he knew he could sing the following:

“But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.” Jeremiah 20:11

What deep waters are you sinking in nowadays?...No matter what they are, God can pull you out!

“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

Acts 4:31

St. Peter and St. John had been on trial before the chief priest for preaching the name of Jesus and healing a lame man in His name. They were given strict orders not to preach again.

What did they do? They prayed, together with the whole group of disciples. It was a genuine prayer, to which God responded with shaking the whole place and a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

What is our first instinct when we feel threatened? Call a friend, cry, escape, ...

As followers of Jesus, our first instinct should be prayer. After all He instructed us to pray all the time.

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

Luke 18:1

If we are commanded to pray all the time, then not the least when we are in trouble.

Unfortunately, sometimes we choose to rely on people and worldly wisdom to deal with our problems.

“In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord. He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.”

2 Chronicles 28:22-23

Ahaz was one of Judah’s kings who were evil and led the people astray. His choices were wrong and he sought the wrong sources for help in his times of trouble.

In stark contrast, Daniel, when threatened not to pray and not to seek God, he took his troubles to the only source of life and wisdom he knew.

“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

Daniel 6:10

David knew that God was always with him and that He always listened, so he called on God all the time.

“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.”

Psalms 116:1-2

Let’s make prayer our natural reaction to life in general, especially in times of trouble. He listens!

“For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.” (Psalms 72:12)

David prayed this psalm about his son Solomon, but was prophetically pointing to Jesus, the ultimate Son of David.

Sometimes we feel we have no one to help, and many of us indeed have literally no one to help. But, Jesus is the help of the needy and the helpless.

Joseph, was helpless and outnumbered by his brothers, yet God was his help and led him to the royal palace of Egypt.

“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady…because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob" (Genesis 49:22-24)

Job was helpless in his calamity, after losing his children, possessions and his health. Yet God was his help and delivered him from it all and restored to him more than what he had.

“I know that You can do all things; no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2)

St. Peter was helpless in prison, sleeping between two soldiers and bound with two chains, yet God’s help was present for him.

“Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.” (Acts 12:7)

So, when we feel helpless, we ought to pray with David the following prayer, knowing that God is help of the helpless:

“Arise, Lord! Lift up Your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless...But You, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; You consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.” (Psalms 10:12, 14)

We are God's offspring, God's breath, and al we have comes from Him. Let us always remember to acknowledge and praise our Father and LORD...