Isaiah 33:2
O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning,
our salvation in the time of trouble.
We often need a helping hand, some assistance to boost our efforts. A helping hand is supplemental; it enhances what we are able to do. Maybe it pushes from falling just short to success. And that is often how we ask God for help–to supplement our efforts, push us over the top.
But that is not what the Bible depicts. “Be our arm every morning” is a request for the whole power of God to work on our behalf. It is a tacit admission that I have nothing to offer and need his might to accomplish anything. And this is the best place to pray from–total admission of complete need. Dependence is our place of strength because it is when God acts most obviously.
We don’t need God’s helping hand. We need His strong right arm, his whole power. He invites us to ask for it and promises to deliver.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.