Desperate for God

Help me God!... Are you listening? Can you hear me? Please God! I beg you! I need your help. Have you ever said words similar to those? I'm sure you have. We all have, regardless of what religion or belief you side with. But there is only one God who can answer us; his name is Jesus; and he wants to help more then you realize. But, he is also waiting for people to see if they're really serious. God is not being mean, however he's neither a fool.

Many people often want help, but once back on their feet they're off doing their own thing again. They're not interested in a commitment or a relationship with their benefactor—which is what God wants. However, the Lord still has helped them at times even though most don't realize it—just because he's a loving Father. But he wants to be more than just a helping hand. And for some other people it is often their pride keeps them from asking or receiving help.

People all over the world have been caught in predicaments, a situations, in illnesses, accidents or disasters, where they need help. Where's that person, that friend when you need them? In some situations it may be a phone, to dial, 911 to get help. Other times they call out to God (God as they know Him) or consider alternate options.

Lately, there have been lots of people who have been caught in natural disasters. Those things happen for a reason (whether known or unknown by us), and God uses this stuff to get our attention. He wants us to turn to him for help, but not only when we're desperate. Many lives have also been spared in these disasters for reasons that include God's mercy; to give people a second chance, and for others an opportunity to share the goodness of God's protective power. But, even with those second chances there are physical needs that need to be met in order to survive. Others have emotional needs or maybe a family member who needs help, as can be seen in this event in the New Testament (Mat. 15:21-28):

"And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, 'Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David, my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.' But, he didn't answer her a word." Let's stop there for a moment. Have you ever felt that God wasn't listing to your prayers when you were crying out to him? Many times it may seem like it, but Jesus is not ignoring you, nor was he ignoring this woman. He's waiting, waiting to see how desperate we are and what our response will be. And so Jesus hesitates. Even the disciples were getting frustrated waiting; they finally stepped in and implored Jesus saying, "Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us." Finally, Jesus spoke up and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Notice, this was not total rejection, but only a statement. He left the door open a little as to see how she would respond to his exclusionary comment. Just like he would say to us. God often listens only to the prayers of his selected children who are willing or ready to obey and/or come to Him with a right attitude. Such is the case we see here, with this desperate woman:

"But she came and began to bow down (worship) before Him, saying, 'Lord, help me!' Now that got Jesus' attention. It's hard for most men to refuse a women who is desperate and crying, but Jesus is not moved by human emotions. However, He was intrigued by her words and actions. Sure, she had honored Him and her actions showed respect; but where was her heart. And Jesus was not through or ready to help; at least not yet. He wanted to deal with her in another area, rather than her concern for her child's welfare. I don't believe there was something in her past that needed to be dealt with that made her any more sinful than the rest of us. But, there is often one big stumbling block for most if not all of us. That stumbling block is pride.

And Jesus answered her and said, " It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." Pow! Pow! A double punch, one to the head and the other to the stomach of this women. In today's language, that would of been like calling her scum. But he also said that she wasn't even worth throwing the bread too. What did Jesus know about her, to respond with a such degrading statement, even though he did love her. He knew something and that is why he waited. Jesus had already helped others that were not Jews. Surely this Canaanite woman from Phoenicia had some issues with pride, possibly regarding her nation's attitude toward the Israelites, or somethings she may have said or thought in the past. Whatever it was, Jesus wanted to deal with her heart before helping this woman and her daughter.

Then the woman replied, "Yes, Lord." Wow, what an incredible comeback (answer) and then she continued, "But even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." This woman didn't argue. She humbly acknowledged that she was a dog who was unworthy to be served; but she believed she could still benefit from the mercy of being near her master's table. I believe she saw herself as one of those lost sheep, in need of help. She also called Jesus, who was a Jew, her master. Recognizing he was the only one who could really help her,

Then Jesus said to her, "O Woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." Oh how Jesus' heart must of swelled with delight for her. She passed the test and took the blows because her faith was greater than her pride. Her humility was real and her pride was no longer an issue; it was her faith in Him that enabled her to move forward to her new master who she would also learn to love. The term master means "bread giver"; and Jesus is the Bread of Life.

This world is in desperate need of God. Don't wait until you're at the end of your rope to cry out. How desperate do you have to be before you call out to Jesus? What will it take in your life to be able to see your need and humble yourself? Is it your pride that keeps you back? You are not alone in that area; God deals with me regularly about pride; but it's best when we surrender to him.

All mankind were formed by God in his likeness, but many people and nations have not chosen to or even tried to acknowledge Jesus as God. Their rebellious cries for help will fall on his covered ears, because he knows they're not going to change or because of their cries to other gods. However he does listen to the cry of the poor and the prayers of his children, and the prays of his sons and daughters who intercede for the people of those nations, cities and peoples "to rise up and come forth." And life will spring forth out of the dryness of those nations. Just as we seeing in the middle east. God is stirring their hearts they want to be free. God desire to reveal himself as the true source of freedom, love, grace and mercy. Then their false pride will be broken. God does listen for brokenness and humility in those who are desperate, just as we saw in King David's prayer in Psalm 51. Please read it and let it be your prayer. And let faith and new life spring forth from your desperate cries to the Heavenly Father.

If I Were King—Part II

This young prince of the king was very handsome, and also vain about his long hair. He was also very proud and crafty. By demonstrating his form of justice and defending his sister's honor, he believed he could also act similarly for others— if he were king. So he got himself a set of hot wheels and rode down to the courthouse in his fine chariot to meet with the people who had issues that needed to be resolved by the king's court. When the men met the young prince they would bow before him, but then he would hug and kiss them when they got up. He would listen to their complaints, and would agree with their concerns. He would tell them, "If I were king..." He promised he would give them what they wanted. (This sounds like a lot of politicians today.) He did this day after day until he had stolen the hearts of the people. The people deserved justice and he would be the one to give it to them.

Finally, it was time to act and have a vote, and so the conspiracy began. He lied to his father the king. Then he went to a neighboring city and threw a big party for himself by inviting some military officials, religious leaders and wealthy people. At the party he declared himself King of that city; the people all agreed with this handsome young prince. Perhaps with new blood and fresh ideas they would see the changes they desired. After several days partying—and encouraged by the peoples' acceptance—the wanna-be king along with some army officials planned a coup. In a short time they had gathered the military together and headed for the capitol to overthrow the shepherd King.

When word of this got back to the shepherd King, who loved God with all his heart, he was saddened and alarmed. He didn't want to fight against his own people or his son whom he loved. He decided to leave fate in the hands of God if he were to ever return to the capitol of the kingdom. So he packed his bags, took some servants and the rest of his large family, then headed out of town along with some friends that night, lest they be all dead by morning, For the King knew his son had it in his heart to kill anyone who stood in the way. (How that must have felt to a loving father, one can only imagine.)

When the new wanna-be king arrived at the palace he was furious to find that his father had escaped. One of the councilmen who stayed behind advised him that if he wanted to "get even" he could have sex with ten of the king's concubines in the sight of the whole city, and then the people would really know the difference between he and his father. And so he did; but that didn't satisfy him. He wanted more, so he sought more advice from another councilmen who was a spy left behind by his father. The wanna-be king listened to his advice as to wait and not pursue his father right away, because he was told his father would be very dangerous. Therefore, this gave the shepherd King time to rest and regroup for the attack he knew was imminent.

The wanna-be king and his army finally headed out to kill the shepherd King. As he entered the battle area there were a lot of trees, which was good for cover but bad for the wanna-be king. For in the process of riding under a large oak tree, the vain prince's beautiful long hair got tangled in the branches, yanking him from his steed, leaving him dangling in the air and vulnerable to attack. As it so happened, one of the shepherd King's captains was nearby, saw him and ran the young prince through with a spear—even though his King had commanded that his son's life was to be spared. When the shepherd King heard the news that the young prince was killed, he wept and grieved for days over the loss of the son he loved so much. For the king loved all his sons, even when they were bad.

The shepherd King returned to the city as to reign again in the mercy of the God he loved and served. Years later a similar attempt was made by another foolish son who also wanted to be king. This time the shepherd King announced who would be the next king. It was to be his last son whom God had chosen, just as he was chosen. But this time it was a son of the king who was to be exalted to his rightful position, and this was a Promise made to the shepherd King by the God he loved with his whole heart. And so this young new King who didn't seek the throne for its wealth, honor or power got the privilege to rule. He became the King of Wisdom and built a beautiful temple for his God whom he loved; He also asked for wisdom to serve God's people. Because of that request, Almighty God blessed him with everything, making him king over all other kings.

This story shows the heart of several different kings and a wanna-be kings. There will always be those who are not content or patient, or those who see mercy and kindness as a weakness. God has given us so much, and yet too many people are not content. They want to be (wanna-be) "king of the mountain," a game kids play by pushing other kids down so that they alone remain on the top of their little domain. As adults, many try to do the same, as to control their destinies.

However, that attitude is not pleasing or acceptable to God. He exalts those who humble themselves, those who wait on Him to be what he wants them to be, those who love and serve Him with all their hearts. God is raising up other sons of David, sons who will be people after God's own heart, people who will rule and reign with him. This little story is a condensed version from the Holy Bible, from I Samuel 16 through I Kings 7. Read it and enjoy the life of David—a man after God's heart—and the lineage of his son, Jesus Christ, the son of David, the King of kings.

If I Were King, Part 1

Once upon a time there were six brothers, actually they were merely half brothers because they each had different mothers. Over the years their father had married each of their mothers for different reasons and he loved them all, especially the last one. In the kingdom it was not unusual for a noble man to have more than one wife, and in this case the women didn't seem to mind because they all loved him, especially now that he was the newly crowned king. Each of his wives were given special quarters in the palace and servants to help with the children. The king's kids never lacked for anything. As they grew up, they usually got whatever they desired. The king loved blessing his children with gifts, and blessing all the people of the kingdom, because of the wonderful God he served with his whole heart.

When the king was a child, he didn't always have it so good. He was the youngest of eight brothers and spent most of his childhood outside tending his father's flock. While watching the sheep this young shepherd would often sing and play songs to the God he loved. One day when he was a bit older, some of his brothers came out to fetch him from the fields. They told him that there was a man of God at the house who was insisting on meeting him. When they all got back to the house, this unusual holy man with very long hair said some surprising words and then poured oil over his head; then he blessed him. The old prophet said, "You have been appointed by Almighty God to be the next king of this great nation." From that day on the young shepherd's life was never the same—except for the love he had for the God he served with all his heart. This blessing however was a shock to his brothers and his father. His brothers resented him after that, scoffing at the thought that their little brother would ever become king, much less their king. They weren't even related to the current King, who already had sons and daughters.

A number of years had past, and in that time the young man was promoted from a shepherd boy to the armor bearer for the king—after slaying a giant with a slingshot. Eventually he became a commander in the king's army. He also played music for the King whenever the King was in a bad mood. The spirit of God was with this young man, and the people realized it—including the old King. And he was getting jealous now after all the notoriety this brave young warrior was getting from all the victories he won in battle. Instead of wanting to give the young warrior a daughter for a wife, as he had promised, the king now wanted to kill him. And one day he tried.

So the young warrior fled. Now the shepherd-warrior became the brave leader of a band of 600 rebels. They all became mercenaries, fighting against the enemies of the kingdom. He also was doing his best to avoid the mean old King and his army that was still trying to kill him; but the brave leader swore he would never kill the mean king even if he had the chance. There were a couple of opportunities that he and his men could have made the kill, but he chose not to, even though his men had encouraged him to. During all this time he made sure he took time to meditate and pray to the God he loved so much. He also wondered how he would ever be king, much less survive. He had never thought of or desired to be a king. Yet, somehow he knew in his heart that one day the fearful old King would die, and he would be king just as the old prophet had foretold.

One day the old king met his demise on the battlefield—along with his three sons. One of the old King's sons had been a special friend to the shepherd boy, and he too had realized and accepted the fact that his friend, and not he, was to be the rightful king. The shepherd-warrior mourned the death of his friend and also his father, the old King. However, now that the old King and his sons were dead, the people of the nation made the brave young warrior their new king.

As time passed by, the shepherd King was handed many responsibilities: uniting the kingdom, restoring the place of worship for the God he served with all his heart, fighting old enemies to regain land they had lost, also gaining land that had been promised by Almighty God. He also had a responsibility as a father in raising his growing family. (Especially after the loss of one of his sons at birth, a death that happened because of his own sin—a sin he would never forget.)

Over the years the king tried to set an example for all his sons to follow; especially his last son. But raising his children was never easy, especially with the responsibilities of the Kingdom, and of going to war every year. So some of his children didn't grow up quite the way he would have liked, no matter how hard he and their mothers tried. The new king had very few skills or examples when growing up, and maybe out of guilt he spoiled his own children. Unfortunately, most of them didn't follow in the footsteps of their father, the Shepherd King, a man after God's heart.

As the sons of the king got older, some of them must have started to wonder who would be the next king, possibly feeling the need to prove their power or manhood. One day his oldest son decided to deceive one of the king's daughters who was very beautiful and kind; then he raped her. This saddened the shepherd King greatly, but it infuriated another of her brothers. While the King did nothing, her brother decided that he should. And after waiting two years, he contrived a plot and killed his older brother, the one who had harmed his sister. Then he fled to another city. While the King grieved over the loss of his first son, he was not about to have another son killed in revenge. (The words of an old prophet must have echoed in his heart from long ago, back when the shepherd-King had sinned, that things would not bode well for his household later in life.)

After three years had past, and with the encouragement from a commander in the king's army, the shepherd King finally brought the estranged son back to the city; but the son never expressed any remorse for his actions, or for the pain and grief he caused the King's family. So he was sent to live in his own house away from the palace. The King waited to hear those words, but he never did. Therefore, the King would not see or talk to him. This frustrated the son greatly, and he perceived what he thought was a weakness in his father. Since the king was ignoring him, and a number of people were grumbling about the way things were being done, the son saw an opportunity to change all that. It seemed that justice was never served the way he and others thought it should be, and so he chose to take advantage of it. He never understood the love and mercy his father had shown him, a love and mercy that had been extended by God to the King for his own sinful actions.

To be continued.