Big Takeaway: “But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive." Psalm 54:4 (NLT)
Have you ever spilled coffee?
I’m not talking about a few drips on your white blouse. I’m talking about a full-on waterfall streaming from your coffee cup.
Earlier this week, my husband, Kyle, had to travel across Tennessee for work. Before he left, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few odds and ends and decided to buy him a sweet cream cold brew for his trip. When I got home, Kyle’s face lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of coffee!
After he gathered his computer, briefcase, notepads, and pens, Kyle stacked the plastic cup of coffee on top of his already full arms.
I bet you can guess where this is heading.
Kyle turned the corner to walk down our staircase and began wobbling as if the floor had turned into ice. The next sequence of events could have been one of those slow-motion scenes from a movie. The plastic cup slipped out of Kyle's arms and bounced like a tennis ball down our dark wooden steps, spewing coffee like a sprinkler all over our white walls.
Our jaws dropped. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you there was coffee everywhere!
Kyle’s response was filled with frustration and a family-sized side of regret. He said, “Uggggh. I should have taken two trips or asked you for help. Now we have to waste time cleaning this mess. I’m sorry.”
As we wiped clean the light brown coffee with paper towels and rags, I realized how much we do the same thing when it comes to our faith.
We try to juggle more than we can carry without turning to God or others for help.
When we look to scripture, we see in several places where God tells us He is our Helper (Psalm 46:1, Psalm 54:4, Hebrews 13:6, John 14:26). But do we let Him help us enough? Do we give God the opportunity to carry our load when we need relief?
Friend, asking God for help can look different for each of us. To be completely candid, in my current season of life, asking God for help looks like this some days:
Dear God, please help Luke sleep well throughout the day and night so I can also get rest. Please give me the energy and stamina to love my family and others well.
As basic as that prayer may sound, when God answers that prayer, He’s helping me and my family in countless ways. The hardest part is remembering to ask!
Whatever you’re carrying today, whether it’s a tired mind and body, a stressful circumstance, or a financial struggle, I encourage you to turn to God for help.
He isn’t bothered by your requests, and He certainly doesn’t want you to make a mess trying to carry it on your own. And, even if you do make a mess, He's right there with you to help clean it up.
God promises to help us. All we have to do is ask!
Reflect:
Try to memorize Psalm 54:4 (NLT) this week, “But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive."
What do you need help with today? If you don’t know what to ask God for, you can always ask the Holy Spirit to speak on your behalf! He will intercede when you don’t know what to pray for.