Do you remember the old TV show Lassie? What a great show. Although it was somewhat formulaic, it was symbolic of the classic age of TV that was both entertaining, yet contained a holistic message of goodness and morals. Did you know that it’s the 5th longest running show in history? Yep, from 1954 to 1973. That’s a lot of dog drama. But inevitably there would be a moment where Timmy found himself in a dire situation that was beyond his control and he would turn to Lassie and utter the words, “Lassie, go get help!” Lassie would sprint off, a big fluff of collie fur, and bound towards the needed help, some type of compass in his nose that always new exactly where this help resided. Good times.
Let’s concur, life is complicated. There are moments that baffle us, times that perplex us and a myriad of situations that will have us just simply scratching our head. I was part of a college student event earlier this year and they had this cool new technology where everyone could message on their phones and their answers would all show up together on a big projector at the front. A jumbled mass of answers for the whole crowd to read. One of the questions was, ‘How do you currently feel about life?” I’ll never forget, one of the responses was so candid and so honest. “I feel confused.” Tru dat, been there my friend. If we’re honest, we all have.
You see, as smart as we think mankind is, we’re really not. Sure, we’ve had genius moments like going to the moon and inventing the taco, but there’s still so much that just simply confuses us. Be honest and admit it, we need help. But as you look around for a Lassie today to send for help, you'll rudely find that life is not a TV show. You can’t just tell your perfectly groomed canine to go get the help you need. So, where do you get help today? Where does help come from and how do you request it? Good for us, we have Numbers chapter 9.
We see in our study chapter today that God has reminded Moses that the Passover is coming up and the Israelites are to observe it using all the statutes and commands that God gave them regarding this Holy Day. (You can find all of the specific details of Passover in Exodus 12) All of the Holy Days were to celebrate the goodness of God and what He had done in the past for His people. By celebrating and recognizing the past glories of God, you’ll be able to better recognize His current glories of today and tomorrow.
But we’re told that some of the people were unclean due to being around dead bodies. This could be due to touching dead human or animal bodies. Since they were unclean, they could not participate in Passover at the specific time God required. But after a while they were considered clean again, would they be able to observe Passover? They took their situation and their question to Moses. And here is where we get our study verse today. And I love it.
Moses is stumped, he just simply doesn’t know the answer. I absolutely love his response.
“And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.” Num 8:9
I can just see Moses as the wheels are turning between his ears. “ ahhhh, hold on. I’ll get back with you, I gotta go get some help on this one.” You see even Moses that talked directly with God daily, didn’t know it all. You know why? Well, there’s several reasons we need God’s help, let’s take a look.
1) God knows all. Come on, this first one should be a gimme for you. God created the world and everything that has ever been created was created by Him. (Gen 1:1, John 1:3) When you create something, you know what it is in your head before it ever manifests. You understand what it is before it exists. God knows everything about this world but more importantly, He knows everything about all people and that includes you. He knows the answer to your situation and the people it involves because He made you and them. All you gotta do is ask for His help.
2) You don’t know it all. If you’re honest, this one is a gimme also. In fact, the longer I live the more I realize how little I know. (To verify this just sit down and watch a few episodes of Jeopardy…how did these people get so smart?) God knows it all and we know so very, very little. Live in this realm of realization and ask for God’s help constantly.
3) You gotta ask. Sounds simple if not for one human problem…pride. If you’re sinking in quicksand and there’s help within earshot, don’t just assume they’ll come save you, scream for help! I see so many people that just assume that God will always rescue them from the trouble they got themselves into and they simply fail to humble themselves before God and cry out for help! Yes, God loves you immensely, yes God created you and yes God only wants the best for you. But God wants you to be aware of your deep need for Him and include Him in every single aspect of your life. See your life as a solar system with God as the Sun. Your life should completely revolve around Him, not yourself, someone else or some thing. Don’t just assume God will help, ask Him!
4) As you ask for help, be patient for the response. Did you know that one of the most prevalent themes in God’s Word is patience? It’s in the Old Testament and the New. It’s theme and principles are mentioned in almost a hundred verses. God uses it describe Himself in over 30 verses. God uses it to describe love. (1 Cor 13:4-8) He declares it as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22-23) Patience is a thread that winds its way in and out of all of God’s Word. So why does God make such a big deal out of patience? It’s simple, we got none and He knows it. He’s constantly urging us to work on our weaknesses and as result become a little more like Jesus.
As you ask Lassie for help, do you give him 30 seconds to get your help and then just rely on yourself? It sounds silly but I know people like this, and I’ve been this way most of my life. If God’s help doesn’t come quick enough for me, I move on and try to do it myself. You see, God doesn’t just want you to cry out to Him for help, He wants you to wait patiently for His answer. Recall Moses’ first words in his response to the unclean people, wait. As we wait on God’s help, He’s not just up in Heaven watching reruns of Matlock, He’s working on the problem! Sure, God could fix things immediately, but in the ultimate dad way, He is not just fixing the problem but using it all as a teaching moment to help us and others learn from it. As you ask God for help, be patient for His answer, part of the answer is in the waiting.
You’re gonna need help. This world is full of treachery, debauchery, sin and mischief. And yes, you’re gonna get tied up in it. As you do, you’ll need to get help. Go to God. Also, as you follow God’s path, at times it will seem very strange and foreign to you. Your gonna have questions and you'll need help. A lot of it. Go to God.
Praise God that He is always near, always listening and loves us as He does. All wisdom lies in God and He’ll share it with you if you simply ask. (James 1:5)
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
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