God’s help | From the Inside Out

Posts Tagged ‘God’s help’

Everywhere We Look

Posted in Bible Study, Blessings, Encouragement, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Goodness, Obedience, Seeking God, tagged God's Provision, God's help, Pareidolia, Remembering God's Faithfulness, Seeking Truth, God's Benevolence, Self-Examination on September 24, 2026| 39 Comments »

There’s a name for it: pareidolia.

You’ve no doubt experienced it, when discovering a cloud that resembles a bushy-bearded old man, or a house with windows and a front door that look like eyes, a nose and mouth, or a car with headlights staring ahead and a grille grinning at you.

We seem to be wired to find faces everywhere we look.

Similar to this ability in the physical realm, we’ve also been gifted with eyes of the heart that can see truth in the spiritual realm–everywhere we look—if we seek it.

For example:

“LOOK AT the birds of the air,” Jesus directed. “They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:26).

The perfections of God’s provision are on display everywhere we look in creation, reminding us that out of his goodness, he’ll care for us too.

LOOK BEHIND:

King David wrote, “I LOOK BEHIND me and you’re there” (Psalm 139:5 MSG).

He was likely remembering what God had accomplished in the past–the problems resolved, the blessings provided, the satisfying moments spent with God that quieted his spirit.

We too can LOOK BEHIND for such indicators of God’s presence in our lives and his work on our behalf.

LOOK FOR:

“Beg for knowledge; plead for insight. LOOK FOR it as hard as you would for silver or some hidden treasure” (Proverbs 2:3-4 GNT).

Pastor/Bible teacher, Charles Swindoll would have us understand:

“Hidden in the scriptures are priceless verbal vaults. Silent. Hard to find. Easy to miss if you’re in a hurry. But they are there, awaiting discovery. God’s Word, like a deep, deep mine, stands ready to yield its treasures”[1].

It’s been a joy of my life to LOOK FOR the treasure of truth in the Bible. You too?

LOOK FORWARD:

“Let your eyes LOOK FORWARD; fix your gaze straight ahead,” advised King Solomon (Proverbs 4:25 HCSB).

Why? We need to focus on the goal of glorifying God and enjoying him forever [2], avoiding those distractions that might lead to the compromise of our faith, or into the evil of this world.

LOOK TO:

“I LOOK TO the mountains; where will my help come from? My help will come from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2 GNT).

Begin the day with the affirmation, “My powerful God created the universe! With that same power He’s promised to help me” (Psalm 46:1)!

Then seize the day with confidence, knowing that nothing can stand in his way.

LOOK UP:

“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will LOOK UP” (Psalm 5:3 KJV).

And when we LOOK UP, what do we see? A God who loves us, desires what’s best for us, and works through events, relationships, challenges, and blessings to bring that best into fruition.

LOOK WITHIN:

LOOK WITHIN as you “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine” (2 Corinthians 13:5a NLT).

Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”

So here are a few questions to guide us as we LOOK WITHIN to take a spiritual inventory:

Am I living a life of obedience out of heartfelt gratitude for what Christ has done for me?

Am I relying upon the Holy Spirit to produce his qualities in my life—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and more (Galatians 5:22-23)?

What do my reactions reveal about my faith? How do I respond to criticism, unkindness, or anger?

“Self-examination does not imply sinless living. Rather it implies Christlike growing”—Randy Smith [3].

Finding faces everywhere we look in the physical realm can be a fun past time.

Finding truth everywhere we look in the spiritual realm is a necessity because . . .

“. . . As we delight in the truth of God’s Word and live out the truth of God’s Word, it truly becomes a lifeline to our souls”—Lysa Terkheurst, Embraced, 309-310.

[1] Come before Winter, 230.

[2] From the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

[3] From a sermon, “The Basis for Spiritual Growth,” May 22, 2022, https://gracequotes.org/topic/self-examination/.

Image credits: http://www.flickr.com; http://www.rawpixel.com; http://www.canva.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.publicdomainpictures.com.

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Look What I Did!

Posted in Appreciation, Blessings, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Goodness, God's Provision, Uncategorized, tagged Faith in God, God's Goodness, God's help, God's Provision, Isaiah 41:13, Psalm 121:2, Psalm 37:5, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 54:4 on March 13, 2025| 36 Comments »

“Look what I did!” declares the proud preschooler, pointing to a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Except she didn’t make them—not without a lot of help.

Nana read the recipe; she couldn’t read yet.

Nana gathered most of the ingredients; the child couldn’t reach up into the cabinets.

Nana picked the eggshell-pieces out of the bowl after exuberant egg-tapping on the rim.

Nana helped to accurately measure ingredients and thoroughly scrape the bowl.

Nana adjusted the dollops of dough on the cookie sheet, making them similar-sized for even baking.

Nana put the cookies in the oven and later retrieved them, then set them on cooling racks so little hands didn’t get burned.

And yet the preschooler thinks she made the cookies.

We might chuckle at her unrealistic view of the circumstances, until the realization dawns: we’ve exhibited our own unrealistic view of our circumstances with God.

Perhaps, like me, you’ve run ahead of God, assuming you can handle the challenge ahead. I’ve also been guilty of taking credit when, in reality, my efforts would be worthless without him.

Truth be told, not a moment goes by that God is not helping us in one way or another.

Sometimes his help is demonstrated in monumental ways, as he attends to situations outside our range of capability or influence. I’ve written about such experiences in our family.*

Sometimes God comes alongside in ways that are more easily overlooked. For example:

One of those times when I was plagued by writer’s block, I sensed God telling me, “Wait till morning. Rest.” Immediately upon waking, an idea occurred.

God settled a bout of sciatica, and I was able to accomplish everything necessary before house guests arrived.

Joy-filled, supportive friendships have spanned the years of our lives.

Sometimes God brings to mind a bit of his wisdom or an anecdote to share, and the listener expresses sincere appreciation.

Those close calls on the roadways offer perfect examples of his intervention.

On occasion, sacred insight comes in the form of a quote:

Oh yes, I need God’s help not to become proud (“Look how God has blessed ME!”), greedy (“Thanks for your all blessings, Lord, but I need this too!”), or take for granted God’s benevolence and never thank him at all.

In addition, God would have us understand:

His help often comes gradually. Think of:

Joseph, languishing in prison until Pharoah calls for him to interpret his dream (Exodus 39:19-41:43)

David, living as a fugitive until God fulfills his promise to make him king (1 Samuel 16-31; 2 Samuel 1-2)

The Israelite captives, waiting in Babylon for God to raise up a leader (Nehemiah 1-2)

Remember:

He often helps when we least expect it.

Think of:

The widow of Zarephath, expecting to die during famine—until the prophet Elijah arrives (1 Kings 17:7-16)

Daniel, expecting to die in the lions’ den–until God shut their mouths (Daniel 6)

Jonah, expecting to die within the great fish—until his release on dry ground (Jonah 2)

In addition:

God’s help always comes to those with faith.

The psalmists offer a starter-list of affirmations:

“Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you” (Psalm 37:5 NLT).

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1 NIV).

“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2).

May we live by such truths, and when help materializes, may we be quick to proclaim, “Look with GOD did!”

How has God helped you? Please share in the comments below!

* Examples include: Come and See What God Has Done, After the Fact, and God of the Unexpected (see the illustration at the end for this last one).

Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.pexels.com; http://www.canva.com; http://www.heartlight.org.

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Consider the Evidence

Posted in Encouragement, Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Promises, God's Provision, Hope, Uncategorized, tagged 1 Samuel 7:12, God's Faithfulness, God's help, God's strength in our lives, Psalm 34:17 on December 31, 2020| 30 Comments »

Years ago my husband Steve and I lived in a small town outside Lexington, Kentucky. All through the area old stone walls stitch together fields and pastures into a landscape quilt. We often marveled at the workmanship as well as the time and effort required.

According to historians, the rocks were gathered out of the fields by Scot-Irish immigrants of the 1700s, who settled the area and needed to clear the land for farms. They used the same dry masonry skills of their ancestors back in the British Isles.

As decades passed new immigrants built more walls as did the slaves who followed.

(Similar walls in Ireland)

Those stone walls came to mind as I read again a story of Samuel, recorded in 1 Samuel 7:1-12. He set up a memorial stone in celebration of an Israelite victory over the Philistines. Samuel called it Ebenezer (which means Stone of Help), explaining that “thus far the Lord has helped us.”

Thus far in our lives the Lord has helped you and me also. And if we collected a rock to represent each time God has helped us, we’d surely accumulate enough to construct many walls, stitching together our experiences into a kingdom quilt—in the kingdom of God, that is.

And what a memorial it would be to God’s faithfulness!

As many of you know, I began a journal in 1983 of God’s faithfulness to our family—a record of his provision, protection, guidance, and blessing. To date there are nearly 1400 entries.

(Note how yellowed these early pages have become!)

If I gathered a Stone of Help for every event noted, I could build a wall ten stones high and nearly 140 feet long. No doubt a record of your life would produce a similar-sized wall, perhaps longer.

Imagine an aerial view of thousands of such walls criss-crossing the landscape—a visual reminder of God’s faithfulness to all of us. Our eyes would pop in wonder.

During this challenging year of 2020, God has demonstrated his faithfulness in numerous ways.

I am particularly thankful for:

Sightings of wildlife that turn window glances into marvel fests
Family and friends within easy reach through various forms of technology
Livestreamed church services that allow Sunday worship with our congregation
No hospitalizations for Steve in 2020 (Last year he was admitted four times for various problems related to his liver transplant and a subdural hematoma.)
Emotional and spiritual health in spite of isolation

And all of us have benefited from God’s unending supply of strength. We’d do well to remember:

I’m guessing you can remember a situation or two when you thought it impossible to press on. But you did—because of God’s enablement.

Other times responsibilities piled up to impossible heights, and the emotional crush was nearly unbearable. But then—miraculously—cancellations and postponements occurred, assistance materialized, and the pile decreased to manageable size–because of God’s intervention.

And why is all this looking back at the past significant? Because:

Where others might say, “So far, so good!” and hope for the best, we say, “So far, so God!” and rely on him whose help is certain. He never fails to do what he has spoken (Psalm 145:13b).

The millions of virtual Ebenezers among us provide reliable evidence we can count on–for 2021 and beyond.

A blessed and confident New Year to all!

Art & photo credits: http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.needpix.com; Nancy Ruegg; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.canva.com; http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.pixabay.com.

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From the Inside Out

Impressions Becoming Expressions

Posts Tagged ‘God’s help’

Everywhere We Look

Look What I Did!

Consider the Evidence

Nancy Ruegg

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