Hey y'all! I hope y'all are having an amazing day thus far. Thank you for continuing on this journey with me. I apologize for not writing a blog these past two weeks, but with all that was going on, I was overwhelmed! I do appreciate all the replies in response to the email I sent out letting you know that there would not be a couple. Y'all encouraged me, even in times where I felt I let you down. Our camp meeting was amazing. The preaching and sermons were so good. It reminded me that God saves, helps, fights, and shows up right on time.
SOS! First thing that comes to mind is "help." The Morse code signal was created in 1905 due to the fact that sailors needed a way to indicate extreme distress and trouble. The popularity of SOS was made in 1910, when Steamship Kentucky was sinking and the signal saved all forty-six people on board. While SOS may be somewhat of a more recent invention, the urgent cry for help is as old as humanity itself.
We hear it quite often in the Old Testament with the story of Joshua, who faced some opposition from his fellow Israelites (Joshua 9:18) and challenging terrain for more than fourteen years as the Israelites slowly (but surely) conquered and settled the land that God had promised them. During this whole entire struggle, we see that the Lord was with Joshua! In Joshua 10, the Israelites aid the Gibeonites, the allies of Israel, who were being attacked by five different kings (the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon). In that moment, Joshua KNEW he needed the Lord's help to defeat and overcome so many powerful enemies. God sends a "hailstorm" of sorts, and even stopped the sun in the middle of the sky just to give Israel more time to overcome and defeat the enemy. Later on, Joshua looks back and sees that the Lord was fighting for Israel (Verse 14).
If you are in the middle of a challenging, stressful battle, and you can not see how you will ever overcome that enemy, send an SOS out to God. As we cry out for help, we can trust the God WILL be with us. Although help will look different compared to Joshua, know it is coming. Whether it is in the form of an unexpected job, an understanding friend, peace, or little victories here and there, be encouraged. These are the ways God responds to our cries for help. Remember, in times of SOS, He is fighting for YOU!
"For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." Deuteronomy 20:4
