During
World War II, the British Isles represented the last line of resistance against
the sweep of Nazi oppression in Europe. Under relentless attack and in danger
of collapse, however, Britain lacked the resources to see the conflict through
to victory. For that reason, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill went on
BBC radio and appealed to the world: “Give us the tools, and we will finish the
job.” He knew that without help from the outside, they could not endure the
assault they were facing.
Life is
like that. Often, we are inadequate for the troubles life throws at us, and we
need help from outside of ourselves. As members of the body of Christ, that
help can come at times from our Christian brothers and sisters (Rom.
12:10-13)—and that is a wonderful thing. Ultimately, however, we seek help from
our heavenly Father. The good and great news is that our God has invited us to
come confidently before Him: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of
grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb.
4:16).
At such times, our greatest resource is prayer—for it brings us into the very presence of God. There we find, in His mercy and grace, the help we need.
Don’t let prayer be your last recourse in time of need; make it your first. (RBC)
