October 21, 2009
HELP ME, JEBUS
Psalm 107:23-32
Bill Deppe
Central Truth
The Lord’s love for us will provide help even during the toughest of times, for no problem is too big for Him. As followers of Christ, we should be His tools and instruments in helping each other.
Key Verse | Psalm 107:28
They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
(Psalm 107:28)
Psalm 107:23-32
23
Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
24
they saw the deeds of the LORD,
his wondrous works in the deep.
25
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26
They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
27
they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits' end.
1
107:27
Hebrew and all their wisdom was swallowed up
28
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
29
He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30
Then they were glad that the waters
2
107:30
Hebrew they
were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
31
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32
Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 107:23-32
Oddly enough, after reading this passage, I had flashes of Homer Simpson running from a swarm of bees, yelling, “Help me, Jebus!” You can be a believer who has a great relationship with the Lord, or someone who is just getting to know Him, but I’m sure you have asked for His help at some point in your life. We all have cried out to Him, whether it’s a bad relationship, trouble at work, sickness, or something else. The Lord is "a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1), and, as His followers, we should help each other as He does.
About a year and half ago, I was stopping at a gas station with my kids after Luke proclaimed at the top of his lungs that he could not hold it any longer and needed a bathroom. A man in rather ragged clothes standing next to a beat-up car asked if I had jumper cables. I did not want to be bothered and said "no" on the sprint to the bathroom. On the way back to my truck, I realized my mistake--so I went into the gas station and bought a pair of jumper cables. We talked while starting his car, and I learned that he was out of work and that his wife was at home with their newborn. He also mentioned that his car needed a jump about twice a day. I asked if he had time to buy a new battery at the Wal-Mart across the street and then gave him 40 dollars. His face lit up like Clark Griswold’s house on Christmas Eve!
The Lord will help you with your troubles, but, as believers in Him, we all should strive to be more Christlike. One of our responsibilities as believers in Christ is to help others with anything from time or money to an ear to listen. Just before that man got in his car, he asked me, “Do you believe in karma?” I replied, “No, I believe in Jesus Christ!” I invited him to Watermark, and I'm still hoping to see him one Sunday.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you ever question whether anyone can help you? (Jeremiah 32:17)
2. Do you ever feel like you can’t make it through your current problem? (1 Corinthians 10:13)
3. What do you think you should do with your next problem? (Psalm 56:3)