Panic in The Human Herd.

At our last Bible study (before Blackpool was placed in lockdown), we were studying the Gospel of John and I received a revelation, as it were.  Whether this insight was influenced by the study or the topic of conversation, I cannot say.  But I became acutely aware that during my life, God has always provided for me.  Particularly, during the lowest, hardest and most difficult times, he has carried me through, and I have felt blessed, landing on my feet as it were, I have learned that no matter what our circumstances, we should always give thanks to God.

I was also reminded of the poem, Footprints:

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach

with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life

flashed across the sky and in each I

noticed footprints in the sand.

 

Sometimes there were two

sets of footprints, other times

there were

one set of footprints.

 

This bothered me because I

noticed that during the low

periods of my life when I was

suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one

set of footprints.

 

So I said to the Lord, “You

promised me, Lord, that if I

follow you, you would always

be with me.  But I noticed that

during the lowest parts of my

life I could only see one set of

footprints”.

 

The Lord replied, “My dear precious child, the times when

you see just one set of footprints, it was then that I

carried you”.

I wonder how many of us truly rely on God for help?  It’s all well and good for us to cry out to him when we are in real trouble, but how many of us rely on the Lord for the normal, ordinary, every-day things?  We can all say, “Yes we rely on God for everything”, but truly, do we?

Consider the many who do not believe in God, yet will still pray when they are in serious difficulty.  Whether or not we acknowledge God as the Lord of our lives, it seems that we are hardwired/programmed to reach out to our creator.  Even other faiths who do not acknowledge Christ as the only way to God, still call out to God.  If proof were needed that we are meant to be in a meaningful relationship with our creator, surely this God-shaped hole in our lives shows the yearning we have to be in a relationship with him.

Through the influence of secularism, atheism and humanism, a mindset has developed in the world that we have to ‘do things on our own’.  The world teaches us to look up to self-made people who relied on their own perseverance.  So this mindset of self-reliance is short-sighted at best and at its worst destructive.  As humans, whether materially successful or not (even though, through false pride, many may deny it) we are meant to be social creatures, to love and be loved, to help and ask for help.

Certainly, if you are a person of faith, you should never be afraid of calling on God for help.  As Christians, we should always be ready to help others in need, or if we are in need ourselves, we should never be afraid to ask.  We have the Lord’s example and the examples of many men and women from Christian history, who helped others or turned for help when the need arose.  If you are materially and financially wealthy, use that to help others.  If you are not, then give your time to help.

The world is a difficult place to live, these days.  As humans, we cannot change the world on our own.  We can make small changes, yes, as individuals, charities, etc, often making things better, to some degree.  But, sometimes on a global scale, it is often not enough, even though those actions and intentions are well-meant.  Of course, prayer is the recourse to action we have, with our Father in Heaven, ready and willing to help, if we are faithful to him.

The Prayer of Serenity comes to mind:

God grant me the serenity to

accept the things I cannot

change

 

Courage to change the things I

can

And Wisdom to know the difference.

Finally, as further study, here are some insightful scriptures:

Matt 11:30: “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”.

1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you”.

John 16:33: “I have said these things so that in me you will have peace.  In the world you will have tribulations, but take heart, I have overcome the world”.

God bless you x.

Nick.