I do not know if it is a strong enough way to convey how I feel about mowing the lawn, but here goes my feeble attempt: I hate mowing the lawn. Perhaps the word “loathe” would better describe my attitude toward the ever-growing grass and weeds that surround my house. However, just like in other areas of life, we have to do things we do not necessarily enjoy, and so I persevere through it and cut the grass, at least weekly, if not more often. Where I live, we have had what seems like a record rainfall and the grass has been answering to it by faster-than-usual growth. To say it is growing like a bad weed would be fairly accurate.
As I was doing my lawn-mowing duties this past week, I realized that no matter how hot it is, I have a helper. Now, this helper does not come alongside me and push the mower, nor does this helper use the weed whacker. This helper most certainly does not use the hedge trimmer, because I am pretty sure there are child labor laws preventing that from transpiring. This little helper is a ten-year-old girl who just happens to be my daughter. You may be wondering, “Then, how can she help you if she doesn’t operate any equipment?” Simple: she brings me water every 15-20 minutes so that I do not pass out and die of heat exhaustion. Ninety-degree days (and higher) are very common where we live, so add some sunshine to the mix, and it makes for a very warm, sweaty job. But someone has to do it, right?
It is amazing how much of an impact that 16 oz. bottle of water makes on a scorching hot day! Whenever I see that little girl running toward me with some cold water in her hands, I quickly shut off the mower and take a minute to chug that satisfying goodness in a bottle. “Refreshing” is the best word I can think of to describe the way the water seems to drop the temperature ten degrees in an instant!
As I continued pushing my el cheapo mower through the thick grass, my mind quickly thought of a spiritual application that is so elementary, yet so profound and applicable at the same time: God is our helper. There is literally an arsenal of Bible verses that declare that God is our helper. If you get a few minutes, look up some of these gems and bask in the glory of our strong God. Psalm 30:10; 46:1; 118:7; 121:1-2; and Isaiah 41:10 are just a small sampling of what is written in God’s Word in regard to his help that is available to us.
While Jesus gave comfort to those on earth when he walked among men a couple thousand years ago, the reality was that he had to return to heaven and resume his work of mediating for us. Therefore, it was necessary to send another Helper; one of the very same caliber. This means that in order to qualify, the Helper had to be God. The Holy Spirit is called another Comforter (Helper) and he resides within believers so that we can have the strength we need to live as God’s children while on this earth.
John 14:26 and John 16:7 give us the promise of One who came to help us and indwell us with his power. I often wonder how those who do not know Christ can cope with the various trials that life brings their way. Where do they turn for help? To whom do they look to for hope? I don’t know about you, but I will take all the help I can get, because life is hard!
Do you remember the analogy Jesus used in the Gospels that involved water? He declared in John 4:13-14: “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” He also spoke of the Holy Spirit in John 7 as causing rivers of living water to flow out of the person who believed in him. Water is a powerful thing! It can kill you or it can save your life. When Jesus spoke of water, he was alluding to his mission on earth: to seek and save the lost by quenching their spiritual thirst and saving their lives.
So not only have we been given living water so that we will never thirst, we also have all the help we need during our brief stay in this world. I am extremely thankful for every time my daughter brings me a cold bottle of water; however, I am much more grateful for my Savior who helps me every day to navigate through the jungle of life—and gives me hope that he has forever quenched my thirst!
- Grade Your Pastor: Numbers are Just Numbers - September 28, 2019
- Take Your Mask Off: We Need to Be Real - September 15, 2019
- You Are Loved—and Never Beyond the Reach of God’s Love and Grace - July 25, 2019
