Written by Cindy Smith
“Oh, Lord please help me!” These words are often spoken, whether audibly or in our minds, when we are in a desperate situation; when we need God to help in a way that only He can. Hard times come to us all. When a car is sliding out of its lane to oncoming traffic, we need God. When we are told we have an incurable disease, we need God. When a loved one or friend dies unexpectedly, we need God. During a job loss or other financial calamity, we need God. We all need God when these disastrous times happen. Most people will begin to pray, attend church, or seek some type of divine intervention when facing hardships. No matter who we are, we will all have some time in life when we call on God and want Him to hear us and answer our prayer. It may not be a disaster. It may be a deep personal need you are desperate to solve.
Personally, there have been multiple times in my life when the only hope was God. Man could not intervene or answer the problems that had happened to me. Doctors tried to offer some hope or solution, but only God could save and heal. During these troubling and needy times, I was left with no other choice but to rely on my Savior.
So the question comes to all of us: How do I treat God before and after these times of need? Do we forget God and His goodness and start relying on ourselves in the good times? There are many times in our lives when it is too easy for us to become self-reliant. We can use our human reasoning skills to plan and orchestrate our lives, never even considering God’s will.
Every need we have can be answered by God. He has established a plan for us. He wants us to serve and love Him with everything we have, not just when life is easy. He wants us to have a pastor to counsel and get advice from to help us on our path to heaven. God gives us a church family to support and carry burdens in prayer to Christ. He wants you and I to be a part of the wonderful Church of God.
It is a fallacy to think you have need of nothing. Pride will take you down that lonely road. Arrogance enables the mind to be “puffed up” and rely on things that are very fleeting. A song in the Church of God Hymnal says: “I need Thee, oh I need Thee, every hour I need Thee.” Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.” One anonymous quote states: “You never know God is all you need until God is all you have.” It cannot be emphasized enough how much We Need God!
Truthfully, even for those who never face a tragedy, the deep emptiness inside us can only be fulfilled in one way. “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.“ John 4:14
