God is my Helper

 

In fellowship with others, we discussed the difference between walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh. As Piper says, we are prone to think of ourselves as serving God, but that is not gospel truth. We are not serving Him — but He is serving us. He makes us able to do His will because apart from Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)

We met a woman this week who came to us as a persecuted Christian. She had been put in prison for her faith and was raising her daughters alone, in a very dangerous country. Her husband worked in another one, making enough to support them and other family members. When asked how she survived all that, her face glowed as she told us of God’s care and faithfulness. He gave His peace to her in it all and met her needs. She was so certain of God’s goodness that she did not give in to fear or doubt.

Today’s reading says “God loves to show his tireless power and wisdom and goodness by working for people who trust him.” The NT says of Him:

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

This reveals what God is like. He gave Himself for us when He was on the earth, and He keeps on doing the same; meeting needs physically, emotionally, spiritually, and in every way.
This is what the Apostle Paul said about Him:

For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, (Romans 15:18)
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. (2 Timothy 4:17)
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Jesus meets me in my needs, these days mostly for strength (I’ve had too many birthdays) and for ideas. His eagerness to do that is astonishing.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6)

The word ‘follow’ in Psalm 23 is literally “to pursue” so He is not just tagging behind to see if I need help but taking the initiative — as expressed by Jeremiah:

I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. (Jeremiah 32:40–41)

PRAY: Lord, this week I’ve noticed how You put helpful ideas and actions into the hearts of others who blessed me by doing what You wanted me to experience. I sit here and weep because of Your thoughtful goodness. So often You are way ahead of me for You do things that I didn’t realize were needed — until You did them. Thank You for such incredible care and faithfulness. “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.” (Psalm 54:4)

Helper — an elevated role

 

Some women resent or make fun of the creation account in Genesis where God said He made woman as HELPER for man. Resentment that it seems subservient and therefore a demeaning role. Making fun by saying, “Yea, the guy needs help all right.”

The Hebrew word for helper is “ezer” and used in only a few places in the OT. It means: “a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose.” The surprise is that a full 2/3 of the uses of this word refer to God as the helper!

Psalm 121:1–2. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The psalmist says three times that God “is our help and shield” and three uses in Deuteronomy indicate helper is a military form of aid in battles. All these references make it obvious that being a helper is no way inferior to the one who receives help. Even the feminine form of this noun, “ezra” is used exclusively for God helping His people. As God showed me (yesterday’s post), when I am doing the will of God, I am being what He created me to be — made in His likeness. That means being a helper also!

As for making fun, God does laugh at those who shake their fist in His face. He knows their resistance to His goodness and His plan are futile (see Psalm 2). However, Scripture never give me any indication that being a godly person includes laughing at those who are weak or struggling or even those who resist truth. My role is to lovingly help them in their need, even help them know and respond to God in faith.

Psalm 54:4. Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.

Psalm 72:12–13. For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy and saves the lives of the needy.

The NT word for HELPER is “parakletos” meaning “an advocate, a person who acts as a spokesperson or representative of someone else’s policy, purpose, or cause; especially before a judge in a court of law.”

The definition strongly suggests intercession, meaning that helpers do not mock the needy but intercedes on their behalf, bringing them to the Lord in heart-felt prayer with concern for their needs and sticking up for them. No one can mock someone who is constantly on their prayer list!

Not only that this NT word is used to describe only the Holy Spirit. It is often translated as counselor, the One sent by God to bless, enable, and work with us. Our role is limited in that we cannot take on much of the work of the Holy Spirit such as producing spiritual fruit, but the designation of being a helper is again elevated, not a servant or a doormat, but one who bears witness to Jesus Christ.

In one place, another word is used for helper, “boethos” meaning “coworker or assistant” as in Hebrews 13:5–6.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

This tells me even more about being my hubby’s helper. Instead of always wanting or demanding more, I’m to be content. My God is my helper and He will never abandon me. I’m not to fear what any person can do. Of course, if my hubby was abusive and harming me, I would need to seek God’s will for that kind of situation.

This reminds me of a relative who married a lovely Christian woman and later divorced her. He told me that he could not live with her because “she is too good” which seemed an admission that her life convinced him that he was not. Oddly enough, his next two choices were both Christian women.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. As I think about all the ways that God helps me, I’m made more aware of the ways I can be helpful to my husband but also to others around me. I am not God, but He helps me with the resources needed to obey Him, so whenever I see a need, the least I can do is pray about it, whether God makes me the helper in that situation or not.