Seeing the pieces?

I love God because he listened to me, listened as I begged for mercy. He listened so intently as I laid out my case before him. Death stared me in the face, hell was hard on my heels. Up against it, I didn’t know which way to turn; then I called out to God for help: “Please, God!” I cried out. “Save my life!” God is gracious—it is he who makes things right, our most compassionate God. God takes the side of the helpless; when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me. (Psalm 116:1-2)

It is both heart-warming and a little bit of a bummer that we have to come to the end of our ropes to find God waiting on us, isn't it? I wonder if there is a lesson in finding ourselves in the place where we feel totally helpless - not hopeless, but helpless. In other words, we find ourselves in extreme need, but don't know how to meet that need anymore in our own efforts. I think God is right there just waiting for us to get to that very point - because when we finally admit we 'cannot', he is ready to show us he 'can'. 

Anger might be what we feel whenever we cannot possibly see any way out of whatever predicament we have gotten ourselves into, but when we cry out (even if there is a tinge of anger in that cry), God is there listening for our cry. Why did he allow us to get to that place? If we are truthful it is likely that we weren't ready to allow him to do what he needed to do until we found ourselves smack-dab in the middle of our muddle. God takes the side of the helpless - but sometimes we just need to get to the place where we recognize the help we need doesn't come from something on this earth or from our own struggling.

Not knowing which way to turn suggests more than one being out of options - it indicates there are so many there may just be a little confusion as to which one is the right one! I have been there - knowing full well there is one 'right' or 'best' solution, but still looking around at all the other 'options' available to me. You ever been there? Isn't it a wonder that we can see one 'solution' as the right one, but still not take it? Our stubborn pride can give us the greatest challenge at times, can it not?

We serve a compassionate God, my friends. One who isn't afraid to extend grace. One who doesn't take away the 'best' option when we are looking around at all the others. If you have been like me, you might have heard yourself laying out all the solutions, one by one in a kind of 'pros and cons' fashion. You have moved this or that, attempting to find 'just the right solution', but like those tiny puzzles of yesteryear that had all the numbers scrambled, we find we struggle to get the right order to those numbers. The solution is right there, but we don't see it - because we are looking at the pieces instead of the problem!

God sees the problem - he also sees the pieces. He is the one to put the pieces in order so the problem is no longer a problem - it is a solution. Not just 'a' solution, but the 'best' solution. Just sayin!