Thursday, February 24 – Hebrews 13:6
so that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”
As children, we face many things that are new and scary. Even a task as simple as knowing how to play a sport can be complicated and require the help of an adult. With an adult present as a helper and a guide, things that seem impossible are not only manageable but can also be fun. As we enter adulthood, we learn how to do things for ourselves. We embrace self-sufficiency, even when we are struggling. We recite mantras such as “You can do this if you put your mind to it!” or “You got this!” While these statements can help get a task done, we also bring this self-sufficient nature into matters of faith where it does not belong. Following Jesus begins with recognizing our need for God and this is never something we grow out of in our faith. We always need God. We are forever in need of His Spirit at work inside of us.
Our neediness is too often something we feel ashamed of and want to ignore. We want to work out our faith on our own. We want to be able to do things for God when the beauty of our relationship with Him is actually our need for Him. As this verse says, having the Lord as our helper is something to be confident in. But to receive His help, we must be needy. There is a special confidence a child feels with their parent or guardian helping. They may be willing to try new things with the safety and confidence in the person helping them. When you feel overwhelmed with the weight of all your faith requires, you don’t need to fear. God has given you His Spirit to equip you, your church body to come beside you, and His Word to guide you. It is truly good to be needy.
- Is it easy for you to ask God’s help? Why or why not?
- What is appealing about being self-sufficient? As followers of Jesus, why is it important to constantly recognize our need for Him?
- Pray and tell God the areas of your life that you try to work out your faith on your own. Thank Him for being your help and ask Him to bring you greater confidence in Him.
