For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you!
—Isaiah 41:13
No matter how well we may think we run our lives, the truth is that we need help with everything. We need all kinds of help in our everyday lives. Often, realizing how much help we need takes a long time. We like to believe we can do whatever needs to be done independently and without assistance.
However, the Lord sent us a Divine Helper; therefore, we must need help. Jesus Himself continually intercedes for us as He sits at the right hand of God (see Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34), and that tells us that we continually need God's intervention in our lives. We are actually very needy and totally unable to handle life properly on our own.
Although we may seem to manage ourselves and our lives well for awhile, sooner or later something happens and things begin to fall apart if we are living in our own strength instead of receiving divine help.
Many times, we do fine until trouble comes. It may come in the form of a broken marriage, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or something else that is important to us. But eventually, we all reach a point where we have to recognize our neediness.
If we want to live life the way God intended—filled with righteousness, peace, and joy (see Romans 14:17), we have to admit that we need help and we have to receive it from the Holy Spirit, the One God sent to help us.
Being Found Righteous
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
Philippians 3:7–9
The Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne greatly influenced the world during his brief life and ministry. Though he had less than eight full years of service to the Lord, he made them count. His devotion to godly living was his most notable characteristic. McCheyne challenged others to live holy lives. In a letter to a newly ordained missionary named Dan Edwards, McCheyne wrote, “In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”
God has no perfect people to work with, but He does call us to be holy if we are to be useful in His service: “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord” (Isaiah 52:11). It is impossible to love God as we should without hating sin as He does. There needs to be a commitment to holy living—what Paul described as being found having the righteousness of God. Though we will never be sinless until we see the Lord, those who witness our lives should be able to readily discern our commitment to righteousness and holy living.
Philippians 3:7–9
The Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne greatly influenced the world during his brief life and ministry. Though he had less than eight full years of service to the Lord, he made them count. His devotion to godly living was his most notable characteristic. McCheyne challenged others to live holy lives. In a letter to a newly ordained missionary named Dan Edwards, McCheyne wrote, “In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”
God has no perfect people to work with, but He does call us to be holy if we are to be useful in His service: “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord” (Isaiah 52:11). It is impossible to love God as we should without hating sin as He does. There needs to be a commitment to holy living—what Paul described as being found having the righteousness of God. Though we will never be sinless until we see the Lord, those who witness our lives should be able to readily discern our commitment to righteousness and holy living.
Today’s Growth Principle:
If we wish God to use us for His work, we must prepare ourselves by separating from sin.
Help!
by Joyce Meyer - posted May 28, 2017For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you!
—Isaiah 41:13
No matter how well we may think we run our lives, the truth is that we need help with everything. We need all kinds of help in our everyday lives. Often, realizing how much help we need takes a long time. We like to believe we can do whatever needs to be done independently and without assistance.
However, the Lord sent us a Divine Helper; therefore, we must need help. Jesus Himself continually intercedes for us as He sits at the right hand of God (see Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34), and that tells us that we continually need God's intervention in our lives. We are actually very needy and totally unable to handle life properly on our own.
Although we may seem to manage ourselves and our lives well for awhile, sooner or later something happens and things begin to fall apart if we are living in our own strength instead of receiving divine help.
Many times, we do fine until trouble comes. It may come in the form of a broken marriage, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or something else that is important to us. But eventually, we all reach a point where we have to recognize our neediness.
If we want to live life the way God intended—filled with righteousness, peace, and joy (see Romans 14:17), we have to admit that we need help and we have to receive it from the Holy Spirit, the One God sent to help us.
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