He is Our Help

"Trust in the LORD; He is their help and shield" (Psalm 115:10).

The Bible is replete with individuals who trusted in the Lord. Abraham trusted the Lord so much he was willing to put his own son to death. Rahab trusted God and she and her household were the only ones spared from the destruction that came upon Jericho by God's mighty hand. David trusted God when an overgrown bully some nine feet tall taunted him and all of God's army. Moses trusted the Lord to use him to speak to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of the grueling slavery they were experienced in Egypt.

The question one might logically ask is why. Why did they trust the Lord? The psalmist answers it clearly. Because the Lord is their help and their shield.

Life brings situations beyond the control and power of the natural man. To say we need help is an understatement. To say we need a shield from the attack of sin and harm this world can bring goes without saying. But the great news for all is that the Lord is trustworthy and He can give the help needed. He helped David defeat Goliath and the Philistines. He gave Rahab victory over sin and false worship of idols. He helped Moses go before Pharaoh and lead the people as God desired and planned. The list could go on and on.

Lord, forgive us for not, even during routine, average days, trusting You and seeking Your help. How often do the days seem so monotonous and simple, run-of-the-mill and boring that we fail to trust Him and seek His help. After all, I've found I need His help not just when the days are bad. I need His help even on good days to remind me to keep Him in mind and His glory my aim. I need His help to accomplish even the most menial tasks. For it is the Lord who gives life, breath and being. I thank God that even during this difficult week, He has been the One we can trust and the help we need.

Micah is, as I write this, still in the PICU on the ventilator. He's had a fairly rough day. When they tried to reposition the breathing tube as they waited to remove him from the ventilator, he got very agitated and his airway constricted. In the process, his heart rate and blood pressure fell significantly. It goes without saying, but an attempt to take him off the ventilator was postponed.

In addition to this, his right upper lobe of his lung collapsed. The doctors are hoping it will open up (re inflate) soon. His bowels are also "sleeping" and enlarged.

I guess the frustration for us has been that nothing that currently is taking place is why we went to the hospital last Monday. There is still some uncertainty as to whether maybe the clot is causing some of the current issues. But in large part, this is not the case.

Unfortunately, several of the problems Micah is experiencing require him to remain on the ventilator. Other problems are occurring because he is on the ventilator. So whenever it was that I previously wrote about a vicious cycle....I stand by that entry.

But we do not live without hope. Hope for today...hope for tomorrow...hope for eternity. We hope because Jesus Christ is our HOPE! While it has been a long, tiring, difficult week, we continue to trust in the Lord who is our Help.