Unshackled Moments ~ February 7, 2018 ~ Crisis 9-1-1

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.

- Nahum 1:7

In the rooms of recovery we often hear people talking about no longer having a 9-1-1 relationship with God. We can likely all understand what they are talking about. Many of us have treated God like emergency services. We never thought of Him at all and had no relationship and fellowship with Him. But when we had trouble, when we needed rescue, suddenly our hearts cried out, Oh God help!

We can grasp that only thinking of and talking to Daddy when we need something is not a real relationship and not the way it is meant to be. It doesn't take long for us to grow extremely weary of the friend who never comes around or calls except when they need something. You know the kind of person I mean. When you see them coming or their name pops up on caller ID your first response is what do they need now? It's not a friendship. But knowing that someone who only calls us when they need something is not a true friend doesn't mean that we don't want our real friends to call us when we need something. In fact, just the opposite. We would likely feel extremely hurt if we thought our friend didn't think we would want to help them, if we could, in their time of need.

I suspect this to be even more true with children. I am sure that parents would like a closer, more meaningful relationship with their children than only being a help in time of need,  but at the same time, how heartbreaking would it be for a parent to have a child who felt they couldn't come to them when the need arose? I bring this up, because sometimes in recovery we tend to swing to the extremes. We sometimes go from only talking to God when we're in trouble to feeling like we shouldn't bother Him with our problems. And that is not the case.

The word for trouble in the Hebrew in the verse I opened this with literally means tightness. It is translated at various times as trouble, anguish, and distress. Those times when the pressure is on to such an extent than we feel the tightness crushing us, it's hard to breath and we feel gut punched, those are times when we need to remember that we have a good Daddy who loves us and cares for us. Our fault, their fault, nobody's fault, we're in trouble and we need help. At those times we are supposed to turn to Daddy. Don't let the condemnation of calling out to God only in times of need in the past keep us from turning to Him now that there is actually a relationship. He is a stronghold. That means He is a refuge, a place of safety that is fortified against the attack.

Daddy knows those who trust in Him. That means He pays particular attention to us, He cares for us and we're special to Him. He doesn't spot us in Walmart and duck down the next aisle hoping that we didn't see Him. He doesn't forget us. He knows us and wants to help us as a good parent longs to help their child, as a good husband knows and loves and helps his wife. We don't have a bogus relationship. He knows us and wants to be our first thought when we are overwhelmed, in anguish and feel the tightness of trouble.

Let us be quick to turn to Him instead of trying to meet our own needs in our own strength or running to false refuges that fail. Just because we have a relationship and are real friends with people who may work for emergency services doesn't mean that when the crisis comes we shouldn't call 9-1-1, and just because we now have a real relationship with our Daddy doesn't mean He isn't supposed to be our first call in times of trouble.

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