Obtain help from God
Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—Acts 26:22
I have had many opportunities in my lifetime to call out to God for help. He was always faithful to rescue me, despite the self-inflicted reasons that I was in trouble. Most times, God’s help didn’t show up the way I would imagine it would be. I would dream up some elaborate and excessive plan that I could see as a possibility, but His ways were usually simple and subtle. One example is the many times I got behind on bills as a single mom. I would always imagine a sudden and large flow of cash coming in so that I would not struggle in that area again. But the help I obtained in those times was always just the help for what I needed in that moment. Of course, I was thankful, but I didn’t really understand why He didn’t bring me a landslide income. Now as I look back, I can see that He stayed with me every step of the way and in meeting my needs one at a time, It was for sure that I would keep calling on Him as needs came up.
Now I call on Him before the needs come. I talk with Him each day, first thing so that I don’t have to worry about the supply of whatever I need that day. I know He is with me and I know He is providing, step by step.
In today’s reading, the apostle Paul, talking to King Agrippa, said he obtained help from God. I am quite sure when he called out for help, he never imagined that the help would be being dragged off to prison. This doesn’t look like much help at all. But the help that Paul got from God in these times was God’s empowering grace to continue to walk out God’s plan, right in the middle of his circumstances. Paul obtained help from God to:
- Be obedient to the heavenly vision from Jesus to declare the message of the gospel to all peoples.
- To turn to God in repentance
- To do good works that displayed his repentance
All these things Paul did with God’s help wherever he was. He didn’t pray for deliverance from oppression, although that often happened. He didn’t pray that he would never get arrested again, either. He only called on God for the grace to continue doing the will of God that he was called to.
What about you? Do you obtain help from God in times of trouble? Chances are it often looks different than you imagine it will. God shows up when we call on Him, but it is rarely in the timing and process that we can imagine. However, His grace flows to us to be strong in all our weak times and that is the greatest miracle of all. He shows up and doesn’t conquer for us but gives us the strength to be more than a conqueror and be the overcomer that He designed us to be.
Today I want to encourage you to obtain help from God. Calling on Him when you have trouble is good, but calling on Him before you have trouble is better. Start each day with asking Him to go before you to make the way straight and clear, yes. But also ask Him to be with you in any trouble that may come up. He doesn’t cause the trouble, He just gives you the grace and everything you need to get through to your victory every time!
Today’s scripture reading: Acts 26:19-23
19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.
21 For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
22 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—
23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
The Daily Dose 