Pastor's Corner: A call for help

I watched a short clip from a 911 episode the other day. A woman had called in because she had become trapped inside a small tool container after hiding in there when a dust storm had come up suddenly as she was working in her garden. Sand had piled up on top of the container, she was trapped in that very tight place, and she was frantic.

Fortunately, the woman had her phone and was able to call 911 for help.

As the 911 dispatcher talked her through the process of digging her way out, the woman, though afraid and panicked, trusted the person on the other end of the line, following every instruction carefully. Her breakthrough into the sunshine-filled air was joyous.

This story reminds me of the breakthroughs we have when we put our faith in Christ. When we get stuck, there is always a way through the hard places, when we trust the instructions of the One who gives us life.

In Isaiah 37, Hezekiah was facing a sort of brick wall with the king of Assyria. But, Hezekiah, grieved over the matters, took to prayer, and trusted that the one He was asking would walk Him through this tough spot. God is certainly not a 911 operator, but the principle of needing help, calling out, listening and following directions is certainly similar.

To me, one of the amazing parts of Hezekiah’s story is in verse 21, when it says, “This is what the Lord, the god of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning this ..." (this thought is ended in verse 35, where God’s words to Hezekiah are this: “I will defend this city, and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.")

Because you have prayed ... God heard Hezekiah’s prayers and responded to his cries. Sometimes, in reality, people wait too long to call 911, and cannot be saved despite all the best and quickest human efforts. However, God answers all who call, and wants that all will be saved. While we see only through our human perspectives, as believers we trust that our distress calls for help have been heard, and that the breakthrough and healing we need is coming. God’s answers are not always what we ask for, and we may not see the results we had hoped for, but our faith helps us to trust that God’s plan for restoration is the best one. He sees the bigger picture.

I don’t know about you, but I have faced a few brick walls in my life. Life is going by quite nicely, and then a dust storm puts us into hiding and into what seems like an impossible situation to come out of, and we get doubtful and afraid that there is no way out of the tight space. Yet, in our distress, believers know that with God, nothing is impossible, and that He does hear our calls for help.

Isaiah 30:10 - 21 says, “People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'”

This Scripture promise is real, and a reminder that when we are stuck, we can make that 911 call, and there will be instructions on how to get back on solid ground. Those instructions are sometimes very hard to follow, but we have to trust the instruction giver. Sometimes the results are even better than we could have hoped, because He is so so good.

Pastor Wynne Schott is co-pastor of the Cheboygan Church of the Nazarene.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Pastor's Corner: A call for help