The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him ~ Psalms 28:7.
Introduction:
Nothing can compare with God, nor can replace Him and the help He brings to His people in their hours of need. Knowing Him and enjoying His intervening Arms are worth infinitely more than all the riches in this world. Man can fix no price upon God’s assistance; it’s a gracious gift of the Holy Ghost.
Oftentimes, our efforts to help ourselves in our troubles woefully fail us, and our best wits and wisdom prove to be unreliable. Job certainly knew this pretty well when he wrote that very beautiful ode in Job 28:7-23. He insisted that no “ravenous bird” can beat the help of God, not even the “lion’s whelps” or the fiercest beasts can assail it.
God's promises of incredible supernatural assistance are rooted in His faithfulness and sovereignty (Psalm 36:5). Jesus Christ taught us that when we prioritize God's kingdom and righteousness, He will meet our needs to ensure our noble accomplishments on earth (Matthew 6:33).
The order of this world was established, and is being maintained till now, by theWisdom of God. Thus, the dispensations of providential intervention are regulated by the highest wisdom, and supernatural assistance is unfathomable and unpurchasable by man.
Notwithstanding, we are, at least, required to demonstrate confidence in God to enjoy His supernatural interventions. Trusting God and investing our lives in His kingdom involve surrendering our plans and desires to His will.
As we actively entrust our lives to God, we receive access to His abundant grace, and thereafter, He begins to work on our behalf. He assists us to enjoy fulfillment on earth in accordance with His perfect plan and orchestrates circumstances suitable for our growth and advancement.
In the natural world, confidence and trust go a long way to promoting fellowship and mutual assistance. Understandably so, the help of God also shows up marvelously for those who put their trust in Him.
David generously attested to this fact, and he also called our attention to the significance of trust in covenant benefits (Psalm 28:7; 37:40). He faced many battles in life, yet he made the choice to look up in faith to God for help, and marvelous help regularly showed up for him at the various bitter points of his life’s volatile experiences(Psalm 121:1).
Cultivating And Demonstrating Confidence In God
One of the major ways your confidence in God can be groomed and equally demonstrated is through your speech: “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so … (Psalms 107:2). Sound is a critical sign of life; your sound produces your signs (Psalms 18:43-45).
Besides, to build and demonstrate our confidence in God, we must also be regular in His sanctuary (Psalms 122:1). The sanctuary is God’s appointed place of encounter with His covenant children (Psalm 20:2).
Everyone who looks up to God for help must therefore keep regular statutory appointments with Him in His holy sanctuary (Hebrews 4:16; 10:25). The sanctuary is the place where God sends help and supernatural strength in divine packets to those who trust in Him (Psalms 20:1-3; 84:7).
Furthermore, active confidence in God’s help is generated and demonstrated when we give sacrificially unto God’s kingdom causes (Psalms 20:3). Doubtlessly, giving with such a stance is incredibly help-provoking! Nothing of value comes without a cost, for values are functions of costs.
Without mincing words, something mysterious usually happens at offering time: the undercurrent of supernatural power and interventions flow at offering times, releasing unmistakable dimensions of supernatural assistance.
In one of the notorious battles of the Philistines against Israel, Samuel needed a crucial victory, but that waited until he gave an unusual offering unto the Lord. Thereafter, he received marvelous help (1Samuel 7:7-10).
That day, the LORD thundered against the Philistines to confuse them, and to thwart and frustrate their plans. They were smitten, routed and utterly defeated before Israel. Alleluia!
In another instance, Israel became dispirited in her battle against the Edomites for lack of water, but the story changed at offering time (2 Kings 3:17-20).
Flowing from all these above, it appears that God reckons with our anxious requestsfor His intervention only to the degree of our desperate sacrifices on His holy altar(Matthew 5:7; Luke 6:38). Anyone from any background can access staggering grace and help for greatness if only he can cultivate a godly attitude of cheerful, sacrificial offering.
Meanwhile, with this hidden powerassigned to offerings, the puzzling question is: “are men now expected to buy divine help”? Most emphatically, no! God’s help is absolutely unpurchasable! Rather, the personal surrender and sacrifice of the will involved in the acts of offering attract to it all its value and potency.
That’s also the reason any robust teaching on the subject of biblical offering always includes not only giving of money, but also deploying our time, talents, treasure, strength, influence and social positions for use to the glory of God and in the highest good of humanity.
When you habitually give these generously, cheerfully and sacrificially, it is accountedthat you have laid “your all” upon God’s holy altar, and you thus qualify to attract anything from Him who owns heaven and earth. No wonder then that tides easily change their rage and events their course when we offer with the right attitude and in the right places.
Friends and brethren, when this body of truth above is lined up to count for you, help from above in tandem with the divine help within you will be excited to act in your favour. You will be a wonder to many, and your light will shine to brighten your world! You won’t miss it, in Jesus name. Happy Sunday!
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Bishop Taiwo Akinola,
Rhema Christian Church,
Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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