Impossible Help
Have you ever thought you couldn't go on and then found a way?
I give you thanks, O Lord and King, and praise you, O God my Saviour. I give thanks to your name, for you have been my protector and helper and have delivered me from destruction and from the trap laid by a slanderous tongue, from lips that fabricate lies. In the face of my adversaries you have been my helper and delivered me, in the greatness of your mercy and of your name, from grinding teeth about to devour me, from the hand of those seeking my life, from the many troubles I endured, from choking fire on every side, and from the midst of fire that I had not kindled, from the deep belly of Hades, from an unclean tongue and lying words the slander of an unrighteous tongue to the king. My soul drew near to death, and my life was on the brink of Hades below. They surrounded me on every side, and there was no one to help me; I looked for human assistance, and there was none. Then I remembered your mercy, O Lord, and your kindness from of old, for you rescue those who wait for you and save them from the hand of their enemies. And I sent up my prayer from the earth, and begged for rescue from death. I cried out, 'Lord, you are my Father; do not forsake me in the days of trouble, when there is no help against the proud. I will praise your name continually, and will sing hymns of thanksgiving.' My prayer was heard, for you saved me from destruction and rescued me in time of trouble. For this reason I thank you and praise you, and I bless the name of the Lord. - Sirach 51:1-12
Surely you have heard the joke about a man looking for a parking space.
He drives around and around worried that he is going to be late for his meeting, and finally he prays to God for a space.
If you open up a space for me, I will quit drinking and go to church every Sunday, he says.
Just then, he turns a corner and a space opens up.
"Never mind," he says, "I found one."
What makes this funny is that it is a reflection of how we view the world we live it. We tend to take credit away from God for the good that happens to us, crediting happenstance instead.
Sirach reminds us that all that happens to us and for us has a basis in God.
The strength we need to bear the crosses we carry come form Him, not us, and yet we pat ourselves on the back when we make it through a tough situation and we forget to thank God for His help.
If we truly have faith in God, confidence comes in abundance, and vision becomes clearer, thoughts form more easily. We function better when we are humble and open to God's help.
But some of us would rather struggle on our own, get angry with the situation and curse the world for being so heartless.
Maybe we should pray for them too.
More to come...