“You, O LORD, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance” (Psalm 22:19).

We all need help at times, though often we don’t admit it. Asking for help admits to neediness. But in this world we sometimes face things much greater than ourselves, and no amount of bolstering our courage will save us from whatever befalls us. David calls out, “You, O LORD, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance” (Ps 22:19). If we understand this to be part of a Messianic psalm, the first line of which our Lord Jesus quoted on the cross, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Ps 22:1), then even He needed help when pinned to the cross for our sins. Repeatedly we see the psalm writers expressing the need for help: “Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield” (Ps 33:20). “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul” (Ps 54:4). Even at the creation of humanity, we see an implicit need for helpers: “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him’” (Gen 2:18). We all need help.

Job suffered greatly, and if anyone needed help, it was he. Yet Job didn’t want help; he wanted relief through answers. So he attempted to wrestle with his Creator, who simply refused to engage him in his philosophical, rational, logical reasoning. God’s definitive, argument-ending statements shut Job down completely: “Who is this …?” (Job 38:2), “Where were you …?” (Job 38:4), “Have you ever in your life …?” (Job 38:12). God challenged this creature called Job to consider his place in the order of creation. To be sure, as a human Job was created in God’s image, and to use theological terms, we humans are charged with being co-regents with God to oversee creation. But that does not give Job or us a special standing to challenge our Creator to a logical duel.

“The LORD said to Job, ‘Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?’” (Job 40:2). Finally, Job responded, “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?” (Job 40:4), and, “Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). Then God helped Job, relieved his suffering and restored to him all that he had lost and more.

We cannot expect help from God if we are busy trying to create a self-sustainable life. God wants to help us, but only on His terms. He is not obligated or compelled. Rather He does it graciously, even though we deserve none of it. When we believe that and we approach Him humbly, then we don’t doubt His care for us, because it doesn’t depend on our worthiness.

Father, thank You for being my Help in my times of need.