I don’t know where you’re at today. Maybe you’re in a great place with God. (If so, feel free to bookmark this for a later date.) But I do know that Jesus promised us that we would have trouble in this life. So for the struggling soul, the one who is having a hard time holding on to hope, I want to speak truth and courage to your heart. I want you to remember how God’s strength shows up strong in our weakness. I want you to call to mind that He is close to the broken-hearted, and He is our loving helper.

Last week in prayer, I was reminded of three aspects of God’s character from the Old Testament…

• Jehovah Jireh – God is our Provider; Genesis 22:14, “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided (seen).’” (full story in Genesis 22:1-19)
• Jehovah Nissi – God is our Banner, our Victory; Exodus 17:15, “Moses built an altar (in the desert) and called it The Lord is my Banner.” (full story in Exodus 17:8-16) A banner is something lifted up, a sign that can be seen from far away.
• Ebenezer stone – a physical marker that God is our Helper; 1 Samuel 7:12, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer (stone of help), saying, ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us.’” (full story in 1 Samuel 7:2-13) The word for helped is ʿāzar; it means “to surround, i.e. protect or aid.”

God is our patient Provider, our victorious Banner, our ever-present Helper. When we face dire circumstances, hopeless situations, and overwhelming heartache, we must go to the Word and declare God’s faithfulness.

“I called on Your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: ‘Do not close Your ears to my cry for relief.’ You came near when I called You, and You said, ‘Do not fear.’ O Lord, You took up my case; You redeemed my life.” – Lamentations 3:55-58

When you’re in the depths of the pit, cry out to your Father in Heaven for relief. Draw near to God and He will draw near to You (James 4:8). Let His love cast out your fear. Believe that He will show up on your behalf.

“I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.” – Psalm 118:13-14

Have you ever felt like that? Surrounded by your enemy? Pushed back and about to fall? Look to the Lord for help. Receive His strength; hear the song that He’s singing over you. Be still, and rest in the truth that He is God.

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.” – 2 Samuel 22:17-20

This will forever be one of my favorite passages. I know I share it often! But it’s a beautiful picture of rescue and victory. God is our support, and He delights in us!

“The Lord God is my strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!” – Habakkuk 3:19 (AMPC)

He’s our strength, our personal bravery, our invincible army… wow! Pray His character over what you’re going through. Don’t let terror overtake you, but tarry in His presence. Keep moving forward with Him. He’s your good guide; He goes before you and leads the way. He walks beside you, holding your hand. He is your rear-guard; He’s got your back and surrounds you with victory.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever… as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” – Psalm 73:26, 28

Our bodies may fail us. Our hearts may deceive us. Our feelings may discourage us. But God! He longs to be the strength of our hearts, and our portion forever. The One we run to, the One we pursue always and seek first. It is good for us to be near Him!

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16

Because of Jesus, we can come boldly to God’s throne of grace. We can pray confidently, receive mercy, and find grace. We can rely on Him for help in our time of need. We don’t have to look to the things of this world to fill us. God is more than enough for us.

“Rise up and help us; redeem us because of Your unfailing love.” – Psalm 44:26

This has been my prayer lately: Rise up and help us, God; redeem us because of Your unfailing love. Not because of anything I’ve done; it’s because of everything Jesus did. He made a way for us to have relationship with this good Father. I can trust God to do what only He can do. I can stir up hope for His help.

As I was writing today’s blog, this song came to my mind: Help Is On The Way by Amanda Cook. I encourage you to listen to it and declare it over your situation!

❤️