God is your ever-present help in trouble, delivering you from all your fears.
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SHAUNA: Hi this is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Joni and I are wondering, do you think of yourself as needy?
JONI: Well, actually, let me take it a step further. Do you consider yourself poor and needy? Now what may come to mind are homeless people. Elderly widows on Social Security; maybe orphans who have no one to adopt them. It’s natural to think of those who are financially insecure or without a home or without family support as well, needy and poor. But listen: King David, a man known for significance and security writes in Psalm 40, “I am poor and needy.” And then he adds poignantly, “Yet the Lord thinks upon me.”
Now that should give perspective on just who are the poor and needy. It’s King David, along with you and me and anyone else who thinks themselves as above anyone on food stamps or public housing. Jesus tells us in John 15, “Without me, you can do nothing.” Friend, we’re nothing; we are poor and needy without Christ. We have no resources, no abilities; we would be failing and faltering constantly, driven to despair; we’d be lost and abandoned, hopeless without a reason to live, were it not for Christ. That’s us! That’s the truth about you and me. We are desperately poor and constantly needy, and if we do not see ourselves that way, we’re blinded by pride. Yet here’s the thing. Here’s the poignant part that touched the heart of King David. Even though we are terribly needy and poor, “the Lord thinks upon us.”
Oh friend, you and I who, without Christ, are nothing, be encouraged. The Lord thinks upon us. I love that! Hetty Bowman explains it this way, she says, “Jesus carries us in his heart.” At no time does he ever forget us, or become weary of us, or tire of hearing and answering our prayers. At no time does Jesus stop thinking about you and tenderly caring for your needs. When it concerns us, you better believe he never slumbers or sleeps. He knows the exact moments we need grace and extra enablement or encouragement. Even when you do not think about him, he is thinking about you. With every trial of every day, God is your ever-present help in trouble, delivering you from all your fears. It says in Hosea 11: “He leads you with [get this] cords of human kindness.” That kindness could be expressed in a sweet letter from a friend, or a kind word from a co-worker, maybe a phone call from someone who has empathy – all of it originates with God. After all, God is near. He is Emmanuel with us. He abides with us and his Holy Spirit lives within us, in our hearts, no less. Oh, my goodness!
SHAUNA: Oh, friend, though we are poor and needy, the Lord thinks upon us. What a wonderfully comforting thought! Joni is always quick to remind us that heaven is the bottom line. It’s the reason we can persevere through pain and hardship. Our days on earth are but a blip on the eternal screen, and heaven will be one glorious day after the next, not only thinking upon the Lord, but worshipping and enjoying him. So, today, why not go to joniradio.org and listen to this important message again. Or spend some time listening to Joni’s other comforting and timeless messages. They are sure to give you strength as you run the race marked out for you. And let’s celebrate that wonderful day when we will arrive; we will finish the race, and we will step into heaven, our real home.
© Joni and Friends