The Lord was ready but no one asked.

Isaiah 65:1 (NLT) The Lord says,   “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.
      I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
   I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’

Isaiah 65 is a good chapter where God reveals that He is waiting on us to call out to him. You can almost hear His pleading with us to depend on him, to PLEASE ask Him for help. How often have you wanted to help an elderly parent, grandparent or a young child or new parent, but wait to be asked? We want to come to the aid of those around us who need help but we respect their need to do it on their own.

I read the book 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. One chapter in the book deals with the author who is too proud to let anyone help him. At one point one person tells him that he is just plain selfish, that his church family wants to help, like he'd done with them countless times but that he wouldn't give the same courtesy. Think about that. It is selfish to NOT let someone help you.

So when that someone is God, who can do absolutely anything anytime, how much of a slap in the face is that? How arrogant are we when we don't ask for help from the One who can ALWAYS give it? Many people think it is selfish to ask God for healing or other things for themselves but they don't think twice to pray for others. Are the others more in need? Are they less equipped than you are to fix your own problems?

Ask God. He will answer. He won't fix the problem without your asking though. He wants to respond. He might be using your circumstances to train someone else to care of others, by caring for you. You never know why you need help. But you can be sure that God is prepared and is willing and ready to assist.

See Isaiah 65:1 again. “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.
      I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
   I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’

Dear God, Anytime I am too arrogant to ask for help, nudge me into humility. Please help me to allow others to be used by You to care for me, assist me, train me, serve me, and rebuke me. I want to do Your will, even when it takes my trouble to do it. Then give me patience and humility. In Jesus name, Amen.

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