We May Be Helpless, But Never Hopeless!

"Listen, my friend Your helplessness is your best prayer. It calls from your heart to the heart of God with greater effect than all your uttered pleas. He hears it from the very moment that you are seized with helplessness, and He becomes actively engaged at once in hearing and answering the prayer of your helplessness."  -Anonymous

I'd like to ask you something. Have you heard the following phrase before? " It usually goes something like this, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Because so many Christians quote this phrase, we sometimes think the phrase comes from the Bible. Well, it doesn't. This phrase is really a non-biblical cliché. It doesn't come from the Bible, but the practice is seen in the Bible and in Christian work.

There is another phrase that Christians and non-Christians believe is in the Bible, and the phrase is, "God helps those who help themselves." This phrase isn't found in the Bible either; and this phrase is not consistent with what the Bible teaches.

All of us have been in situations where we are powerless or unmotivated to help ourselves. If God only helps those who help themselves, all of us would be in deep trouble and without hope of God’s help. Helplessness is endemic to the human existence.

The feeling of helplessness can also come from professional or financial setbacks due to company layoff or the stock market crash. The feeling of helplessness can come from sudden or chronic illness. The feeling of helplessness can come from the attack by a burglar or by someone you love. The feeling of helplessness began at birth and usually precedes our death.

Everyone, given enough time, knows the feeling of helplessness. But not everyone knows how to recover from times of helplessness. Maybe we can learn how to make it through our times of helplessness by looking at Job, chapter 3. I would like to present two observations from Job today.

The first observation is that suffering is not always the result of sin. 

In chapters 1 and 2, we read that Job was blessed with great wealth and many children. And if we were not given revelation about what went on in heaven, the test God placed on Job incited by Satan, we might guess the wealth and children were taken from Job, because Job disobeyed or displeased God. The opposite was true. Job was faithful to God.

Yet, attackers carried off Job’s wealth. Raiders killed many of his servants and stole his livestock. Fire from Heaven burned his sheep and more servants. A tornado killed his children. And Job became afflicted with painful sores from head to toe. And we read in chapter 1, verse 22, "In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing." Suffering is not always the result of sin.

Let's take a closer look at this concept. When your company lays you off work, your mind darts to your besetting sin. When you become seriously ill, you confess every sin from first grade through the present.

If God were to punish us today for the sins we've committed, all of us would be in the hospital or in the grave. We need to thank God for His patience and mercy, rather than believe our sins deserve only physical and mental anguish. The truth is, suffering is not always the result of your sins.

The second observation is that when God doesn't answer our questions, we already know enough for the test.

We’ve all taken tests in school, and we’ve all tried to ask the teacher for the answer in some way, especially when we were in elementary or middle school. But as we get into high school and college, we realize that the teacher will not give the answer because he already gave us enough before the test.

God doesn't answer our questions, we already know enough for the test. In chapter 3, Job is asking God why such a hard test? Job asked, "Why did God allow me to be born? Why didn't I die at birth? Why can’t I die to escape this anguish?"

When we are in the midst of life’s test, we often ask, "Why me? Why do I have to have cancer?" "What is the purpose of this test? Can’t I learn the lesson some other way?" "Why can’t it end now? I can’t handle this any longer."

When no answer is given, many respond by cursing God and longing to die. Others ignore the reality of God and try to face the test alone. They are consequently destroyed by the test because they leave the only One Who can help them pass the test.

Job did not curse God. Job did not leave God. We read his reply in Job 2:10, "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job knew enough about God’s goodness to answer his own heart’s questions.

Many of us are still in the middle of the test. The test can be an illness, a frustrating marriage, horrible work situation or hurtful in-laws. We have our questions. And God hasn't answered them. Have we looked at what God has already said in His Word, the Bible?

Do we know enough of God’s ways and goodness to answer our own heart’s questions? God gives open book tests and group tests. When God doesn't answer our questions, we already know enough for the test. We can use the Bible and seek counsel from other believers.

Knowing enough for the test does not mean that we will apply what we know to the test. Sometimes, applying what we know to the test requires recall, willingness, emotional stability and confidence. During a test, most of us draw blanks and forget what we know.

Job forgot the specific ways God was good to him. Life’s tests have a way of blurring God’s goodness. Job was in such anguish that he wanted to die. He lost everything that gives us meaning, his possessions and his family. The one who remained, his wife, encouraged him to take his life.

But why didn't Job take his life? Why didn't he commit suicide? I believe Job didn't give up, because Job knew God’s character didn't change in the midst of life’s test. Let me suggest that Job’s lament and questions reflected his helplessness but not his hopelessness.

Helplessness is the feeling or the fact of powerlessness to help oneself. Our wealth, our friends, our support systems and even our will to live can be taken from us. At that moment, we are helpless and only hope in God will enable us to recover.

We do not know the future and cannot see our situation in light of the whole picture. Our moment of helplessness may turn out to be the foundation for our triumph.

Yes, Job was helpless, but he was not hopeless. Job did not curse God or take his own life in times of helplessness, because he put his hope in the fact that God will always do what is right with his life. And that was enough for Job. God’s righteousness is enough for us.

In a materialistic and instant society, it is hard to hope in the unseen and to hope in the future. But if we want to have courage, strength and perseverance to move through helpless times, we must have hope in God’s future redemption.

Scripture: Hebrews 4:15; Romans 8:26-27; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 10:13; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:8; Acts 4:12; 1 John 2:2; John 17:5; Matthew 24:35

Prayer: Father, Have mercy on me and redeem me from my helpless situation. Enable me to be free from all the clutches of darkness and praise You with all my heart, soul and mind. Let there be peace in my mind. I surrender all my weaknesses at Your feet and beg Lord, please strengthen me with Your righteousness. I praise You and thank You for hearing all my supplications. In Jesus' name I pray.Amen.

May God be with you,

Madison