"Daddy, I Need Help!"
Scripture Reading — Micah 7:8-20
You will again have compassion on us …
Micah 7:19
Our three-year-old daughter is fiercely independent. As she struggles to put on a shirt or carry an armful of dishes, she refuses help: “No, Daddy, I can do it myself!” Minutes later, she often comes to me with shirtsleeves twisted up, or with the announcement that a plate of food has fallen to the floor, pleading, “Daddy, I need help!”
We’re all like that. We like to believe we can do it ourselves. In the process, we often resist God’s will for our lives.
For example, Israel demanded a king so that they could be like “all the other nations” (1 Samuel 8:5). God warned that having a king was not in their best interests, but Israel insisted. Unfortunately most of Israel’s kings led the people astray. They promoted idol worship and injustice, greed and immorality.
Eventually Israel collapsed, and they suffered God’s judgment.
But Micah interceded for God’s people. He asked God to restore his sinful people and draw them back to himself. And God promised he would have compassion on them and “tread [their] sins underfoot.”
What good news! In Jesus, God has done that. Maybe you’ve tried to do it yourself. Maybe you’ve tried to live life your own way—and you’ve made a mess. God heals and restores fallen people! In what ways do you need to trust in your Father’s will?
Father, we often try to do things our own way, and we make a mess of our lives. Forgive us our pride, and help us to submit to your will for our lives. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Rob Toornstra
Rob Toornstra has served as pastor of Sunnyslope Christian Reformed Church in Salem, Oregon, since 2006. When not busy with pastoral duties, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Amy, and their three children.
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