My heart is steadfast, God.
I will sing and I will make music with my soul.
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.
I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations.
I will sing praises to you among the peoples.
For your loving kindness is great above the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth.
That your beloved may be delivered,
save with your right hand, and answer us.
God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph,
I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.
Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine.
Ephraim also is my helmet.
Judah is my scepter.
Moab is my wash pot.
I will toss my sandal on Edom.
I will shout over Philistia."
Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who has led me to Edom?
Haven't you rejected us, God?
You don't go out, God, with our armies.
Give us help against the enemy,
for the help of man is vain.
Through God, we will do valiantly.
For it is he who will tread down our enemies.Psalm 108 (WEB)
Good people help each other every day. We help each other to work, to learn, to grow, and even to relax. Tonight as I put my daughter to bed she volunteered that she wanted to get up early to make the family pancakes for breakfast to surprise her mom and to be her good helper. What a blessing when we help each other with a joyful attitude! It makes life downright fun!
Even the Bible makes relative statements about us helping each other, but because the Bible is the Word of our Heavenly Father he also speaks in absolutes. And God also wisely reminds us through David that... the help of man is worthless. God reminds us of this absolute, not to discourage us, but instead to encourage us that he is the good God who helps us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, absolutely. Even the best of our friends will let us down at times, but God never will, ever.
Furthermore, while it is true that on a good day we are a real help to each other, this apparent helpfulness is actually our good God himself at work through us by his gracious choice. The glory goes to God for every good thing. Sin has spoiled our helpfulness and we are in desperate need of God. All too frequently we do not help, but make more work, impede learning, stunt growth, and cause stress in one another’s lives. We need help from God!
The good news is with God’s help we will be reminded to ask him to be at work through us in spite of the weaknesses that make us worthless. With God’s help we will give him the glory even if he happens to use us in a small or big way to be a help to others. With God’s help we will be victorious over the enemy. Help us, God!
