Steve’s Devotional – Ever Feel Helpless?

Ever feel helpless?

When you’re young, there’s no problem that can’t be solved, no mountain that can’t be climbed, and no challenge that is too big to accept. But as you get older (and some folks get “older” sooner), you begin to realize that some problems exist that just don’t have solutions.

I can identify with the fifty-year-old pastor who said, “When I was young, I prayed that I would win the world for Christ. When I was thirty, I prayed that I would win my city. When I was forty, I prayed that I would win the people in my church. And now I pray, ‘Lord, help me not lose too many.’”

Do you remember what Matthew said about Jesus’ visit to Nazareth? “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). Even Jesus hit some walls now and then.

I once heard the (supposedly true) story about a large wood-frame hotel entirely made out of Florida pine. Just one match in the wrong place would bring the place down into a pile of ashes. So the engineers designed and installed a very expensive and elaborate sprinkler system to protect the hotel. A few years later, when they were putting on an addition to the hotel, they discovered that the sprinkler system had never been hooked up. So as great as it was, it would never have helped avert a disaster because it had never been connected to a water source.

Connecting the system to the source. That’s how the Christian deals with helplessness.

We all have times of feeling helpless, overwhelmed and worried.

In your helplessness, remember God. You can trust the God who is never helpless or without resource.

The American folk religion says that God helps those who help themselves. But what do you do when you can’t help yourself…when you can’t do anything? How do you help yourself when you have no strength left? Where do you turn when you simply don’t have the resources to meet your needs? The Bible says that God helps those who can’t help themselves and who know it.

We all feel helpless at times and for a good reason—we are helpless. There are so many problems and needs in our lives for which we have no remedy, so many mountains that are too big to climb, and so many challenges that we can’t meet. A feeling of helplessness is, in fact, a rational response to reality.

But we aren’t totally helpless, are we? There really is a God. He really is sovereign over every circumstance. He really did give us his Son to cover our sins on the cross. He has really forgiven us and accepted us. He really does love us. He really does want—and plan—what is best for us. We really can trust him.

All we have to do is make sure the sprinkler system is connected. And even with that, he has it covered.

One time Charles Spurgeon was worried about his ministry in London and the resources he needed to maintain it. He was depressed and filled with anxiety. Then God brought to his mind a rather silly image. It was that of a mouse in the granaries of Egypt under Joseph. The mouse was worried about enough to eat. Then Spurgeon thought more, this time of a fish in the River Thames and how worried that fish must be about having enough water to breathe.

Then Spurgeon began to laugh. “Eat away, little mouse,” he said, “there is plenty. And swim away, little fish, there is more than enough water.” And then, addressing himself, Spurgeon said, “Stop worrying, little man. God has enough and more.”

Time To Draw Away

Read Matthew 6:25-34 & Philippians 4:13

What do you feel helpless about? Go to God with it. Don’t censor a thing—your pain, questions, anger, doubt, struggle and exhaustion. God can take it…all of it. Then leave it in your Father’s lap. He loves you and really can be trusted.