We are all familiar with this phrase, Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.  Some of you who are younger may not recognize its origin.  The phrase was used on TV about an elderly person falling and lying there helplessly without any way to let people to know they were in peril.  To eliminate this from happening many elderly wear a button on their wrist.  If they would ever fall, when they are lying on the floor, they push the button to ensure help in on the way.

Help! God, I live in a fallen world and I can’t get up above the doubt and questions in my life.  We all benefit from the fact when sin seems to leave us in peril we can call on God.  We don’t have a button to push but we do have a Lord and Savior who will respond to our need.   But God does not want us to call only when we are in trouble God wants a constant and strong relationship with us.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always;  pray without ceasing;  in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

God wants us to rejoice even though He knows we live in a fallen world.  We do this because we have hope.  We are to pray without ceasing.  When we pray we are in contact with God.  We are actively acknowledging that God is present in our lives.  When we are keeping God actively in our thoughts we lead a more productive life.  While we are doing other activities we should be including God in our conversations and thoughts.

Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

God is present in our life, we often are ignoring Him.   Sometimes we feel God would not want to be bothered with trivial activities in our lives.   Sometimes we are not proud of how we got into our situation and we don’t want to involve God in it at all.  We are go give God with our whole heart but we have difficulty doing that when we want to keep part of our heart back for private matters in our lives.

Jeremiah 29:11-14a  11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.

God knows we will be tempted and our own evil desires will drag us off from where both God and we wanted to be, putting us into captivity.

James1:13-14 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

The ownership of these desires is what we must give up.  When we were children we at times did things we hid from our parents.   We often knew they would find out but we wanted to delay the consequence of our actions. We can’t hide our actions from God simply by not telling Him about them because He already knows.  He knew you were going to do it before it even happened.  God wants to lessen our consequences but we cannot do this without seeking and trusting Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

God knows we live in a fallen world but He is present.  We can call on God continually this builds a stronger relationship, we are to talk to Him when we feel great about our actions thanking Him for his guidance and also for when we have sinned, seeking forgiveness and restoring hope.

Written and posted by Joyce E Poggensee

Verses referenced 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18,  Matthew 28:19-20,  Jeremiah 29:11-14a,  James1:13-14, Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 3:5-6.