In Time of Need

I was riding back from lunch with a couple of mates when the car started making an odd noise.  The sound began a running commentary among all in the vehicle about the source of the sound.  As it persisted and grew worse, a passing driver honked and quickly ended the discussion.  We pulled over and found we had a flat rear tyre.  It turned out that my fellow passenger knew personally a tyre shop owner close by and directed the driver to the entrance.  True to his claims of good service, the process of the inspection and replacement was handled immediately.  This was a case of knowing where to go because you know someone you trust.

The situation had me thinking.  My mate who directed us to the tyre shop performed a role similar to that a Christian who leads others to Christ in time of need.  Had we been without his aid, it would have taken us a long while to locate the jack, remove the spare, and possibly find the spare too was flat!  Because my mate knew the tyre shop owner and the exact location of the shop, we were able to have prompt, quality service and be back safely on the road.  As a Christian, one who had taken refuge in Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour, I know He is able to help in time of need.  He is able to redeem lives destroyed by sin, marriages broken through infidelity, break addictions, give beauty for our ashes, and freely give us eternal life.

It takes recognition of our need before we will do anything about it.  We would have kept on driving with that weird noise until we were riding the rim had someone outside the vehicle not alerted us to the trouble!  It is one thing to know you have a problem, but it is another thing altogether to know what to do about it or where to go!  Having responded to Christ's offer of salvation through the Gospel, Christians are called to lead others to experience the new life, joy, and rest He provides.  In one sense, churches are intended to be hospitals where sick people are nursed back to spiritual health.  Church is like a smash repair shop, not a showroom.  We are all damaged through sin, battered through our foolish choices, and victims of living in a perverse world.  It is Christ who not only restores us to His intended calling and purpose to glorify Him, but transforms us from within.

Hebrews 4:16 reads, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Because God put on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, He knows exactly what it means to be human in this world polluted by sin.  He understands what it feels like to be misunderstood, rejected, hurt by family members who didn't believe in Him, arrested, falsely accused, tortured, and even killed by envious men.  Praise God Jesus did not remain in the grave, but rose alive three days later as He said.  He has ascended to heaven and intercedes for us even now.  He invites us into His throne room of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Do you see your need for mercy and grace?  Do you come boldly and humbly to Christ in time of need or do you look elsewhere?  Just like we inspect our tyres to ensure they are filled with air before we drive on them, we ought to inspect our attitudes and feelings to see if they are upright according to God's standards.  When we catch a glimpse of God in His glory, we see how far we are from walking in righteousness.  Our great lack becomes increasingly evident as we mature in faith.  Let us respond to Christ's loving invitation to find mercy and grace to help in time of need.  Let us lead others to Him, because we trust Him!