Tag: assistance

Lean On

Read Proverbs 3:5-6

As some people become older, they can begin to have stability issues. Others have medical issues which impair their ability to walk or stand without some form of assistance. A variety of mobility aids have been developed and improved overtime. Canes, walkers, braces and other medical devices have provided individuals something to lean on and receive support as their own stability has been diminished. Due to these  forms of assistance, people have maintained some level of independence and safety.

Among the wisdom sayings attributed to King Solomon, we hear advice on seeking aid in our lives. This wisdom should be applied every day.

Trust in the Lord — As we go through life we are given opportunities to make decisions about where we place our trust. Politicians, religious leaders, companies, financial institutions, all call upon us to trust them. Many times we experience a breaking of that trust. We may come to the conclusion that we can only trust ourselves. But here we are told to trust in the Lord. The Lord’s track record is very strong. No one has ever experienced broken promises or unreliability where the Lord is concerned.

Do not rely on your own insight — Another translation of this portion of the verse is, “do not lean on your own understanding.” (ESV) The imagery in the second translation seems to be stronger. Whichever translation is used, the idea of not going on one’s own is communicated. Trusting our own perceptions and interpretations independent of others, especially the Lord is discouraged. Seeking the assistance of God brings stability and wisdom into our lives.

In all your ways acknowledge him — The Lord should be a part of every aspect and decision of  one’s life. Finding the hand of God daily active in one’s life provides assurance and direction. The guidance of the Lord causes one to stumble less and provides stronger possibilities of avoiding pitfalls.

He will make straight your paths — The Lord can clarify the way to go through life. Instead of wandering aimlessly as one goes from one decision to another, the path can be direct and with less hazards. Seeking the Lord’s guidance in making decisions will provide a clarity in purpose and vision.

May the wisdom of Solomon take root in each of our lives.

Never Alone

Life has many uncertainties. No one knows what awaits them the next day, the next hour or the next minute. There are joys and challenges that fill our days. One certainty which is always present is that whatever is in store for us, the Lord is always present whatever may come. We are never alone.

1. When have you sensed the Lord’s presence in your life?

2. How has the Lord assisted you during a challenging time?

3. In what ways do you celebrate your joys with the Lord?

Need Help

46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Mark 10:46-52 (NIV)

Every person has times in their lives when they are in the need of help. Barriers to receiving assistance can exist for a variety of reasons. A barrier which presents itself is the reluctance on the part of the individual to reach out and request help. Pride or fear of being turned away could be the cause. Another barrier may be the interference of others who attempt to block necessary access. Socio-economic situations, language differences, or cultural taboos can also block the path to transforming help. Whenever assistance is prevented, the individual can feel abandoned, alone, and hopeless. All of us are charged by the Lord to work for the reduction of barriers to assistance. Until this change is realized, individuals will have to persistently work to overcome the barriers on their own.

Today we read about a blind man who experienced barriers as he attempts to get help from the Lord. Since this lack of eyesight prevented him from working to support himself, he was forced to sit along a roadside and beg travelers to supply his basic needs. He encounters a socio-economic barrier and would have been viewed as a much lesser person. When he hears that Jesus is walking on his road, he begins to seek help from Jesus by shouting. Bartimaeus clearly does not allow pride to be a barrier. Those around him though attempt to silence him and create another barrier due to cultural norms and perception of his status socially. The man is undeterred and only increases his plea for access. Jesus hears the man, calls him forward and gives him the help for which he asks. While Bartimaeus receives physical healing, Jesus’s actions go much further because they demonstrate a giving of sight to those observing as well.

Many times we are blind. Our blindness may not be a physical impairment but a much deeper one. We can physically see someone in need of assistance but are blind to the barriers around them in obtaining that assistance, some which we may help to create. As individuals, we may be the ones in need of assistance but we refuse to make the request. Our needs may be spiritual in nature. We may need to have our sight restored so we can see Jesus and the love which he offers. Like Bartimaeus, we sit beside the road in need of crying out to the Lord.

This passage challenges us in two ways. The first is to see the Bartimaeus of our lives and not attempt to silence them but assist in breaking down any barriers. The second is realizing we may be Bartimaeus and must cry out to the Lord for the sight, or whatever else, we so desperately need. Jesus does not disappoint.

Unbelief

14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Mark 9:14-29 (NIV)

In the Star Wars movie, “Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back,” Yoda is attempting to train Luke Skywalker in the Jedi ways. Luke is impatient and quickly gives up when the tasks which Yoda gives him prove extremely difficult. As part of his training, Yoda instructs Lake to use his mind and the Force to lift Luke’s X-wing fighter out of the swamp where he crashed. Luke does not think it will be possible but tells Yoda that he will try. Yoda responds, “No. Try not. Do…or do not. There is no try.” Yoda emphasizes that only by believing you can will anything be possible.

In Mark’s account of Jesus’s ministry, we witness a scene when a man brings his son to be cured of an unclean spirit. When the man arrives with his son, Jesus is on a mountainside with three of his closest disciples. The remaining disciples attempt to cure the boy in Jesus’s absence but are unsuccessful. When Jesus rejoins them, the man requests Jesus’s help but begins the request with, “If you can…” Jesus repeats those words back to the man with what appears to be a bit of frustration. He then goes on to say that belief can make things possible. Jesus’s words prompt the man to declare his belief and requests Jesus to assist him in overcoming his unbelief.

Yoda has to show Luke the importance of believing in himself. Jesus has to show the man the importance of believing in Jesus. Frequently, we need to be reminded of the importance of believing. Believing not to just get something we desire but believing as the starting point in accomplishing in the midst of difficulty. The man’s response to Jesus is one which we all can echo. Even in the midst of our belief, we have areas of doubt or unbelief. Some of these doubts are not easy to overcome. We need to reach out to the Lord for assistance. Through the Spirit we can receive the tools to overcome our doubts. Sometimes those tools are provided through other people placed on our path. Sometimes these tools are only found in the midst of prayer as Jesus states at the end of our passage. Still other times, we receive the tools through the study of the Word.

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.”