I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5 NRSV.

If we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Romans 8:25 NKJV.

This morning in our Friday Retreat, we watched a segment from The Chosen that showed so poignantly our need for Creator God…Father…Son…Spirit, and our reluctance to have Him help us because we feel unworthy compared to Him and the needs of others. Would you tell Him your greatest needs if He was standing right in front of you looking at you? What struck me that I shared with the group was that Peter, John and James were walking with Jesus in the town and talking together with Him about the reactions of the people as they watched Jesus perform a miracle. We know it’s just a dramatization, but it happened! Jesus, the Son, came to live among us! He wanted to be personal and available, but do we want that closeness only He can give? And as they were enjoying that talk and walking together, Barnaby and Shula came to see Jesus. They wanted Him. Barnaby had to ask Jesus to heal Shula’s blindness because she never would have asked that of Him. Was she afraid, ashamed, worried what He would think of her? What do we fear to ask? What do we fear to allow ourselves to believe? Why are we so afraid? When you choose to draw near to God, He is here.

And our chapter, Isaiah 15, shows us just as poignantly why we need God. This prophecy is against Moab because they were against God as evidenced by being Israel’s enemy. Verses 1-9 describe the ruin and destruction of Moab, the peoples despair, and then, My heart cries out over Moab; v. 5. Can we not see that God loves the people He created? We see cities lying in ruins and destruction today because humans ruin and destroy them. Do our hearts go out to them? Jesus walked the streets with the disciples He loved. He healed, He taught, He welcomed and He was welcomed…and…He was turned away. Would we be any different today? You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48.

Jesus, the Son, came to live among us and shared with us what was most important for every single one of us. Is it hard to do? Yes. Is it needed? That’s a question you need to answer for yourself. Do I need God? Recently, I have been made aware of great pain someone I love dearly is experiencing. I have prayed, I have sought God, and I have taken it upon myself to help to the harm of the person I love. And I was brought to the realization that I can’t help. I was utterly undone, helpless. I questioned why I even write this blog to help others when I can’t help someone near to me. All I could say over and over in prayer was “I don’t know what to do…I don’t know what to do!” I needed to reach that point so I could realize how much I need God. me. I need Him. The journey I have been on for over 30 years, I wanted to impose on the one I love. That is my journey. Started in great need. I finally gave up. Only God’s personal love for the person I love will heal and help him as they learn together. That is their journey to take when he is ready and in need. When you reach that point of realizing you can’t…shackles fall off. 30 plus years and I am still only learning how much I trust God. And I am grateful for every single moment of my journey with God because He is showing me how near He is always and I need Him to be near. We can try to do this all alone. When that doesn’t work for you, ask for His help. He already knows.