Who Will Help?

“How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you” Isaiah 30:19

Recently, my son took his family to see the stage production of TheLion King. A good time was being had by all until the play turned to the point in the story where the young lion, Simba, wandered into the dangerous valley and right into the trap of his evil uncle, Scar. In a scheme to usurp the kingdom from his brother Mufasa, Scar had arranged for a group of hyenas to chase the wildebeest and cause a stampede that would endanger Simba and lure his father to the rescue, at which point Scar would kill Mufasa and begin his rule as king. After the stampede ended, little Simba looked up, all alone, to see his father lying dead on the ground. In the quietness of that moment, with the dust and smoke still swirling on stage, Simba began to cry, “Help, help,help!” It was at that point in the hushed theater that my 3-year-old grandson stood up on his chair and shouted, “Why doesn’t somebody help him?”

Not surprisingly, no one rushed to the stage to help Simba.

But it’s a reminder of a sobering truth. Each day, scores of people within the reach of our resources are hurting and desperately in need of someone to rush the stage of their life and help them. And here is the issue for us: Will we just sit by and watch like detached observers in comfortable theater seats? Or will we get engaged and do something about it? We are called to be the extension of the hand of God to the needy and helpless who are within our reach.

The Old Testament is filled with accounts of God’s people crying out for help. Although their trouble was often self-imposed due to the waywardness of their devotion to God, I’m amazed by the fact that He was still eager to come to their aid. In the midst of a lot of bad news brought by the prophet Isaiah, he assured the people that “the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. . . . How gracious He will be when you cry for help!” (Isaiah 30:18-19).

God’s ultimate act of grace and compassion came in human flesh, in the person of Jesus. It was His nail-pierced, bleeding hands that redeemed us from our desperate situation once and for all. At the cross, Jesus took the heart of God into His own hands.

As recipients of His grace, we can do no less. Listen for that cry for help, rush the stage of their need, and let God extend His compassion through your helping hand today.

YOUR JOURNEY…

• For the believer, God has cancelled hell and guaranteed heaven. In what other ways does God “rise to show compassion”? How have you experienced this truth in your life? Be specific, and try to think of at least one occasion when His grace was made evident to you.
• Recall a time when you needed someone’s help. Did the person respond to your crisis? If not, how did it make you feel? If so, what do you think would have happened without that person’s help?
• Are you willing to take the heart of Jesus into your world? Read Isaiah 58:5-12; Matthew 25:31-40; and Colossians 3:12. Then ask God to show you who needs His touch through you today.
• Is there a local ministry where you can assist in bringing the hope and healing of Jesus to those around you?

Adapted from an article originally written for the Our Journey devotional guide.