![[Photo of a Scripture verse]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/Psalm_35_23.jpg)
| “O Lord,… be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.” |
| —Psalm 35:22-23 |
When we get into trouble, we often cry out for help. There’s no shame in that. At least there shouldn’t be any shame in asking for someone to help us.
Over the last 18 years, since arthritis has crippled my ability to walk and climb stairs—and particularly in the last 14 months since I had my right leg amputated below the knee—I have occasionally lost my balance and found myself clinging to some object, unable to get upright again. In those moments of teetering on the brink of falling, I call out for help. Fortunately, in most cases, my wife comes swiftly to my aid.
This is not a small thing for her to do. I now weigh in at just a bit less than two-and-a-half times her weight. Thirteen years ago, I weighed more than four-and-a-half times her weight.
So, for my wife to help me, it is more like a tiny baby deer trying to help an elephant. That might make for a great cartoon image. But, in real life, it’s not something that prompts laughter—at least not for the two of us. Fortunately, my wife has learned how to help me without harming her own self.
Do I wish I did not need help? Of course I do. The hardest lesson I have had to learn in the last 18 years is to ask for help without shame. Previously, I was always a very independent person. I was strong, sure-footed, and very mobile, in spite of my extreme obesity. Now, I need help far more often than my fragile ego can tolerate. But, I have no choice.
King David knew what it was to need help. He was a very strong, self-reliant person. After all, he not only protected his sheep from a lion and a bear, he was the one who killed the Philistine giant, Goliath. Nevertheless, David found himself in need of help and learned not to be ashamed to ask for it.
Here are David’s words from Psalm 35:22-23:
O Lord,… be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.
David is saying, “I can’t fight this battle alone, Lord. I need your help. I need you to rise to the occasion and bring me aid.” That this great warrior would be willing to ask for help when he needed it says a lot about him. And, it says even more about the one David is asking for help.
As we begin another day, we must not be ashamed to ask God for help. We cannot obediently follow God’s will for us without His help. That’s why God gives everyone who believes the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit is there to help us. We should eagerly seek His help whenever we need it. There is no shame in asking the Spirit to contend for us. After all, that’s one of the ways He shows us how very much He loves us.
