Recyclable Comfort

Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them. Psalm 10:17 (NIV)

In different interpretations of the Bible such as the Amplified, King James, as well as the New American Standard all of these use the phrase humble instead of helpless in this particular verse. Often people will read this scripture and zoom in on the word helpless figuring that’s the word that describes them through and through. They see the word to mean powerless and weak not someone who is meek and modest.

No matter what version you read this from the end result on what the Lord does for the helpless or humble is still the same. He is there to direct their hearts, to strength and comfort them.

It wouldn’t take much of a glance to pinpoint an instant when we felt helpless or totally humbled whether it lasted a few seconds, several hours, or even longer than that. What really needs to be observed is how we behaved during those moments of feeling helpless, insecure, weak, or powerless.

Being a very vulnerable time, Satan takes advantage of as he comes out with so many lies and half truths that he likes to fill our mind and heart with. Because of the danger of the enemy planting something that shouldn’t be in our hearts it’s vital that we don’t lose sight of our own hopes, lifeline, and source of energy, strength, and truth which is found in Christ Jesus.

Too frequently we come up with the attitude that since we are helpless that makes us also hopeless, all alone in a crowded world. Just the crack needed to allow Satan into our lives and we find ourselves heading towards a very large trap that Satan sets in front of us. Burying our individual hopes, ignoring our own cries we make ourselves out to be more helpless than we really are. The end result is finding us further into the snares of Satan as we take on the role of always being the victim.

Whether our source of helplessness is cancer, other health problems, a failed marriage, prodigal children, financial difficulties or life itself we need to keep our eyes and hearts on the supplier of our comfort. The one who listens to our cries, and is there for us when we need Him as we stand up to Satan on a daily basis even when the odds seem to be in his favor knowing in hearts that they are not.

Satan is the helpless one, the victim of his circumstances and the choices that he made that put him where he’s at and where he will be for all eternity. We are not the helpless ones as God showed us when He sent His son to die for us. We often feel that life’s circumstances are what make us appear helpless but it stems from our own attitude. If we stick with God He will stick with us and there is no need to feel helpless or all alone. Humble, Yes! Helpless, No way! The choice is ours we get to choose.

Dear Heavenly Father thank you so much that in your eyes we are far from helpless, with the strength you supply, the power you give, the guidance you provide we can help ourselves as well as those around us who are where we use to be. The true beauty of the comfort You have supplied us with is the fact that it’s recyclable, something that can be used over and over again, passed down from generation-to-generation as its designed to help and encourage.

May we never break this cycle as we do our part in reaching out to those who are caught in the trap of Satan, springing them free from the feeling of helplessness through the comfort and encouragement that we provide in Your name, Thank you Lord God for having more faith in us than we often have in ourselves. We love you Lord. Amen.


© 2007 by Karen J. Gillett