Where do you turn for help?

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:2

The divorce papers were on the table ready to be signed. After many years of marriage, my husband and I had been separated for several months. In an attempt to restore our marriage, we agreed to attend a 10-day intensive counseling session in Colorado Springs. We were in a desperately difficult situation. One day I was sitting alone outdoors overlooking the amazing red rock formations of the Garden of the Gods. What an incredibly beautiful view! As I was praying, that verse in Psalm 121 came to mind.

I had memorized this scripture as a child, but until that day I had never really paid attention to the last phrase. Why didn’t the Psalmist just end with “My help comes from the Lord?” Period. Why did he add the phrase, who made heaven and earth? The answer came as I prayed and asked God to help me understand. I was reminded of Genesis 1:1-2: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep…” John 1:3 gives additional information: All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. These verses reminded me that God created the entire universe —everything — out of absolutely nothing.

I began to sense a glimmer of hope. Could God take a lifeless marriage relationship and create a new life? In a heart where love seemed to have died, could God create something new? Maybe God could bring life out of what seemed to be formless and void. I began to trust Him for that.

Years have passed since discovering the hidden treasure in this Psalm. God has been faithful in His creative miracle. It didn’t happen overnight. It took a lot of counseling and determination and forgiveness. We had to learn about what had been missing in our marriage in order to improve our relationship. God did not merely restore an old relationship, but He created something brand new. Deep love is now present in our marriage that was not there before. Only God could have done that. My life has been changed forever, and I have an unshakable faith in God.

I have learned that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). He is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). I learned the power of prayer. Two of my nieces knew of our situation, and I found out later that they had prayed consistently and specifically for me. She knew that I am a believer in Jesus, and she prayed that I would be convicted by the Holy Spirit every morning about the choice I had made to separate from my husband. Her prayers were specifically answered!

It encourages me to realize that no matter how lost someone seems to be, or how far away from God they have drifted, there is still hope. Don’t give up. Keep praying! The God who made the heavens and the earth still creates miracles! Cry out to Him for help, no matter how impossible the situation seems. Remember that nothing is impossible with Him.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Are you personally struggling with a difficult situation in your life? Or do you know someone whose situation sesems hopeless? How can my story encourage you?

Who can you be praying for that needs a miracle?