> He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. -Psalm 147:3 (NIV)
I have a friend who’s going through particularly tough times in his life, and as a concerned friend, it’s almost like watching a painful scene unfold before you in a movie. There’s nothing you can do about it. You can’t make the person snap out of their funk, or keep them from spiraling down. You can’t fix them, as much as you want to.
You feel helpless and powerless when you see that, and you can dangerously let the attachment bring you down, too. But that very feeling of helplessness and powerlessness can remind us that we are not the ones in control. God is.
While it’s futile for us to try and get out of the quicksand or tar pit on our own, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens and buoys us. He gives us the lifeline to get out of the pit we’re in. And if we’re the one supporting the one in the pit, then we can act as a channel and conduit for His love to help them out.
But we shouldn’t think that we alone have done anything to rescue or help anyone in our own strength, and certainly not for anything in return (payment, recognition, etc.), but that we were moved and powered by the Spirit to help another one of His children…to bring them to Him.
Hope is never gone as long as we’re keeping our eyes on the Lord. Whether you’re in the pit, or helping someone else out of it, come back to the basics: that God alone is our rock, our hope, and our redeemer. And when we do that, we will rise with Him!
Today’s soundtrack
“Love Them Like Jesus” by Casting Crowns reminds us that when we have no words or actions to help those in need, we are to bring the hurting and brokenhearted to Him.
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