I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

(Psalm 121 1-2).

Never before have we had so much information and so many options to choose from in all areas of our lives.

And never, as now, has humanity been so lost and in need of help.

Paro, guerras, crisis económicas, crisis sociales, pandemias, desastres climáticos…

The world has been selling peace and prosperity, yet what it delivers is hopelessness.

Faced with this, many people look for ways out, but they look for the answer in the same source that has led them there.

So it is not surprising that the suicide rate has doubled in some countries, and that depressions have also doubled as well.

In this environment, coaches, mentors and psychologists are making their own particular August due to the increase in demand for their services.

This is not a bad thing. On the contrary, they can be of help to those who are looking for a way out of their anguish.

The problem is that these professionals rarely succeed in changing the hearts of their patients. And they can rarely give them a solid, eternal foundation on which to build their lives.

But even more serious is that some pastors are ceasing to act as such to become one more of those professionals, using their same principles and values.

And all because many believers prefer to trust in “professionals” and be motivated by systems and slogans that praise human capacity, rather than place their trust in the mercy, justice and power of God.

They forget that the Gospel is the best answer to emotional problems. And they forget that the perfect answer, the perfect help, is only in God.

As the Psalmist reminds us:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121 1-2).

If God has created all that exists, who but Jehovah can be our perfect help?

Others can lend a hand, but the ultimate help comes only from God.

He has a perfect destiny for each one of us. A glorious and victorious destiny, which only requires surrendering our lives, trusting and obeying God.

But, of course, this means having to depend on God, and we humans like to be masters of our own destiny.

Exactly the same as when Israel preferred to exchange Jehovah for human kings to “lead and guide” them.

However, there is no valid substitute for the redemptive work of Christ.

Nor is there a valid substitute for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Nor is there a valid substitute for the guidance of God’s Word.

And there is no valid substitute for the power, holiness, mercy and wisdom of God.

So when you are in distress and troubles surround you, lift up your eyes to God, and trust in Him.

For those who will reach the goal, those who will be rescued, those who will achieve victory, will not be those who trust in their own abilities, or in those of other men, but those who hope and trust in God.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Todd Diemer on Unsplash