When I was younger I watched Gilligan’s Island almost every day after school. The show so preoccupied my thoughts I even dreamed one night I was on the island with the whole crew. I was very sad when I woke up because I really wanted to stay there and oh how I tried to get back. For several weeks I went to bed with a picture of the island in my head and said, “I want to go to Gilligan’s Island” over and over until I fell asleep. I’m sorry to say I never visited again.
Are you hoping and praying for things that are not coming to pass?
This morning in my prayer time I heard the following:
“Help, is where I am. Turn not from the desires put in your heart. Hold on to righteousness for righteousness is Christ! You can impact many more than you realize if you will just start. Just start and I will be there. Help, is where I am…loving you.”
Having never heard the phrase, “Help, is where I am” I decided to do a little research on the word help and here is what I found out.
The Greek word Bonoela (boetheia bo-ay-thi-ah) is from the word aid; specifically a rope or chain for frapping a vessel; - help. Boetheia denotes (1) “an answer to a cry for help”: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help (boetheia) in time of need”, Heb 4:16 literally, “(grace) unto (timely) help”; and (2) in Acts 27:17, where the plural is used, the term is nautical, “frapping”: “Which when they had taken up, they used helps (boetheia), undergirding the ship and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.” Frapping means to use ropes or chains to wrap around a ship to prevent its demise. (Strong’s Expanded Concordance)
I believe God has put things on your heart just like He has mine. They were not put there to dream about, or petition nightly in hopes they would come true, but to actually “do” them as they were meant to impact others for good.
It’s time to tackle the dream, start the “good works” we were created to accomplish, and honestly look at the personal shortcomings, which hold us back.
You will never get off the same old path if you don’t stop and walk a new direction.
You will never be more loving unless you love without expectation.
You will never encourage others if you are afraid to speak.
You will never be more giving until you start giving things away.
You will never be humble if you don’t repent.
You will never keep your integrity if you don’t maintain it.
You will never truly know God’s heart unless you read His word.
You will never know peace until you stop trying to “make it happen”.
You will never do the greater things until you complete the lesser things.
You will never forget to thank God if you continually talk to Him.
You will never learn from others if you believe they have nothing to teach you.
You will never witness the lame walk or the blind see unless you “go for it”.
You will never share your story of salvation if you are afraid of rejection.
You will never be a light on a hill if you are unwilling to take the hill.
However…if you step out in Faith
You will never need to worry about becoming shipwrecked like Gilligan…
In answer to your cry for help, God will wrap His arms around you to prevent your demise. For He says “Help, is where I Am”.
