Asking for Help

I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.

The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.

The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. –Psalm 121

Mr. Zeke Smith of FOCUS Boston spoke to students Wednesday morning about asking for help. "We don't like to think of ourselves as needing help," he said. "We want to feel like we can 'do it all ourselves'. We want to be perceived as self-reliant."

Mr. Smith told students we are the same way spiritually. We especially hesitate to ask God for help. Why is it that we try everything on our own first, and asking God is the last thing we do?

He instructed attendees to "think of an area of your life where you need help." Psalm 121 begins by asking, "Where does my help come from?" This is a rhetorical question answered by what is true about God, not what is true about the writer. "We need to see God for Who He is," Mr. Smith said.

There are three things the psalmist wants us to know.

1) God is our keeper. God does not promise the absence of trouble, but He will help us not be overcome. He doesn't rest in His care, so we can rest, knowing God will keep us.

2) God is our protector. "Shade" indicates relief from the burning sun. Neither the sun nor the moon will harm us. This is a metaphor for God's protection.

3) God is our preserver. This is a bigger perspective than just this life; it encompasses eternity. "Think about your struggles in view of eternity," Mr. Smith encouraged. "It gives perspective."

"How can we trust that these promises are true? They were kept thousands of years later by Jesus Christ. God helps those who realize they need help, not those who help themselves," Mr. Smith said in closing. "We have a God Who helps! We can't earn our way into that help. Spiritual maturity is not 'self-sufficiency.' It is not being afraid to ask for help. God helps those who realize they are in need of help."