For Those Needing Help From Above

by Pringle Franklin

The path was hard to find; the strenuous climb, exhausting….but reaching the higher ground was worth the struggle.

Sometimes life seems overwhelming. We face challenges that threaten to break us. Panic rises within our minds, and our ability to remain calm and steady is in doubt. What if this happens? Should I prepare for that? An alarming pressure mounts within us to do something in an effort to regain control. And yes, we wonder, where is God in all of this?

Every person faces such trials. When we set off to find this ancient, abandoned monastery above the Lake Country of Italy, we spent hours trying to locate the footpath. The afternoon was slipping away as we wandered from village to village and finally, from tiny nameless street to tiny nameless street. When at last we’d managed to locate the trail, it tricked us.

The walk started pleasantly enough, meandering past shaggy goat herds, meadows of leggy wildflowers, and modest wooden farmhouses. Yet once we were fully committed to the trail, it twisted upward into a dark woodlands full of creepy shadows and mysterious animal sounds. Our feet began slipping as the dirt pathway narrowed; loose rocks and boulders littered the way, creating stumbling blocks and making us breathe deeply as we took exaggerated knee lifts to step around them.

The children began to whine. Why had we brought them here? What was the point of all this torture? Couldn’t we see that the sun would set before we ever reached the top? A chilly rain started to fall, making its way through the leaf cover to splatter on our heads and wet our t-shirts against our backs.

One of the boys flopped down and threatened to quit. He would not take another step until we agreed to give up and turn around, to head back to the relative comfort of the car in defeat.

Sometimes, we are that child. Our heavenly father has set us hiking on a hard road. He knows the difficulty and despair of the climb. Yet he also knows the joy and victory that await at the top. When we threaten to give up, our loving father will extend his hand and keep us going. He will send comfort in our family and friends, in his creation, in uplifting music, and in the Holy Spirit. Even in the most desperate moments, Father God is with us, and he will never abandon us or lead us in the wrong direction.

Let’s circle back to our boy sitting by the side of the trail, stubborn and sweaty with tears building up in his eyes. With firmness and encouragement, we managed to convince him to keep trekking.

In his heart, he didn’t really want to give up; he didn’t really want to give into despair. But he had run out of steam and needed someone to come along beside him and reassure him that the end would be worth the pain. When we finally reached the summit and stood on the monastery’s stone porch to take in the lovely greens, blues, and browns of the rolling valley, guess who celebrated the most? That’s right, the one who had almost given up the fight.

Remember this when danger threatens to undo you: limit your mental baggage to the immediate challenge of each day. Push away fearful thoughts about what might happen; instead, actively trust God to take care of your future. You will exhaust yourself if you pack your mind with anxious scenarios about the murky road ahead. Instead, be like David the psalmist and declare your victory in the Lord, singing most bravely during times of distress:

“I will exalt you, Lord,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
Lord my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.”
Psalm 30:1-2

“You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.”
Psalm 32:7

videography by Michael J. Parks
intro music by Julianna Fletcher

In this video, Joanne Ellison of Drawing Near to God Ministries discusses topics such as:

* making requests of God

* praying for children with cancer

* letting God fix us through inner healing

* searching out the hidden motives behind our prayers

* surrendering our idols — yes, this can include our precious loved ones — into God’s hands

* deepening our trust in the Almighty’s love

If you enjoyed this video, please leave a comment or share the link through social media.

“Don’t be afraid, because I’m with you; don’t be anxious, because I am your God. I keep on strengthening you; I’m truly helping you. I’m surely upholding you with my victorious right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10