My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2 (KJV).

REFLECT:
Help is something everybody needs at least occasionally, for some of us help may be needed all the time. If we are sincere with ourselves, we know that we cannot do everything all by ourselves. There is a saying that goes like this (and I paraphrase to suit the audience) “The CEO of a company cannot also occupy the position of the security guard at the gate.” Meaning the CEO cannot possibly do everything or everybody’s job, he would need help from others such as the security officer who is capable to occupy that post.

In the same way, we would sometimes have to look outside of ourselves to seek assistance. Why? Because we do not always have all the answers, and the solution we are seeking may be found somewhere else.

Nevertheless, there is a side to man, that is so caged in, which usually stands as a hindrance in getting the right kind of help we may need and at the times we may need them the most. This side of man is what we call “Emotions.”

A lot of the time our emotions stand as a barrier to our receiving what we need, other times our emotions cause us to make hasty decisions that would usually land us in the wrong direction. Three such emotions that may stand in the way of getting the help we need are:

(i) Pride: this is a pitiful state of self-deception and delusion that anyone can ever find themselves in. Pride is usually an overblown image of oneself, having an out of proportionate regard for self or ego. As a result, we tend to feel we are self-sufficient and therefore do not need any form of external help.

(ii) Fear: Fear is a big issue when it comes to seeking help. Fear is associated with distress, terror, anxiety, worry, misgivings, trepidations, mistrust, etc. The root course of fear usually comes from some form of an unpleasant situation experienced in the past in the hands of someone else or even something wicked we entered by ourselves. As a result, a door was opened, and the devil locks us in with fear. This situation prevents us from trusting ourselves to seek help from others or trusting others to render the help we need.

(iii) Guilt: This is an emotion that comes with a deep sense of wrongdoing. This may be an act we may have committed against humanity thereby violating the laws of God. Guilt always opens the door for the enemy /devil/Satan to bring shame into our lives

For us to effectively seek help and most importantly from the right places we must have to deal with these toxic emotions. As humans, we all make mistakes because we live in a flawed world. Therefore, the emotions we have are flawed as well. So, the question would be how can we deal with such toxic emotions so that we can start seeking help the right way and from the right places? How can we identify the right places to seek help?

First and foremost, we must be sincere to ourselves, to know that we have problems and thus we need solutions to these problems. Secondly, that we are insufficient in ways that we can never imagine and so would need someone sufficient in all things. Thirdly, and this is a follow-up from the last statement, knowing that man is insufficient and flawed and that we are prone to make mistakes, it then follows that our total dependency should never be on our fellow man.

How can we identify the right places to seek help? Our Bible verse for today gives us the clue. This Bible verse points to only one source to look for help from, and this is God Almighty, through His Son Jesus Christ and by the Power of His Holy Spirit! From this Bible verse, we notice that only God is the key player here and that every other avenue is eliminated or secondary.

Can man play a part in helping us? Of course! However, it will be through the orchestration and leading of God through the Holy Spirit. The long and short of this is that we must allow God to be our first focal point of contact and then He will lead and direct us by His Spirit to the appropriate places where He has placed His help in the physical.

Total help comes from the Lord God Almighty. It is by spending time with God through our relationship with our Lord Jesus, and by the leading of the Holy Spirit, that we can effectively get into the right places where we can find all the help we need.

Ebimobo W. Obasi

PLEASE PRAY ALONG:

A Prayer For Help.

FATHER GOD, thank You for being the ultimate solution to all of my problems. Please teach me to have the courage to always come to You first when I need help. I repent of every toxic emotion that I have always carried out and exhibited that has prevented me from asking for help from You. I choose to walk aright from today, and I accept every possible help from You in JESUS MIGHTY NAME AMEN.