DEVOTION – DAY 381

Devotion, 21 Sept 2023

Psalm 43:6 “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.”

Often, in the book of Psalms, the word “poor” does not necessarily mean someone who is financially poor, or someone with no possessions. More often, it refers to someone who knows he or she has no resources to save himself or herself from a bad situation. It could be a situation that is life threatening, a situation that is hopeless. There is no one who can help this person except God. Psalm 34:6 confirms that when someone who finds himself in a hopeless situation, can call out to the Lord and He will hear him and help him out of all his troubles.

Psalm 34:8 goes on to tell us to taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed are those who take refuge in the Lord. This encourages everyone to turn to the Lord for He is good and He is faithful. He will help us. He will rescue us.

Robin Tan was addicted to alcohol, cigarettes and womanizing. He loved to drink till he was drunk. He would visit prostitutes. His lifestyle affected his work. He was often late for work or failed to report for work. In the end, he was dismissed from his work. His lifestyle affected his relationship with his family and his health. He put on weight and was in poor health. By this time, he was drinking 3 bottles of whisky a night. He became suicidal and depressed because he felt unable to turn away from his addictions.

When he was at the lowest point in his life, he cried out to God to help him because he knew he could not help himself. He even wrote a letter to God asking for help. To his amazement, the very next day, he found that he no longer felt any desire to smoke, drink or to womanize. He realized that God had heard his cry for help. He decided to commit his life to God. He began to go to church, and to start reading the Bible. His relationship with his family improved. He lost weight and he felt much better. Today, he is a changed man and he readily testify to how good God had been to him.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, You are gracious and Almighty. You are faithful. Thank you for coming to our assistance when we cry out to you for help. Help us to always rely on you and not on our own resources. We pray this in the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. Why do people wait till they are the end of their resources before they turn to God for help? Discuss.
  2. What can this devotion and verse tell you about God?
  3. How have God come to your rescue in your time of need? Share.
  4. How can you thank God for all that He has done in your life? Share.