God has been our help in time past and He is our help in the present. We must continue to trust in Him even to the future. Why does God want to help us? Because He will be glorified. This is the end to which all of us who are His children must arrive at. God expects us to glorify Him. We must realize that glorifying God must be the only thing that consumes us and satisfies us. The following verses are the proof:

Psalm 90:14-17, “O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”

Even though we can know with confidence that God is our helper, we must not take His help for granted. We can find satisfaction in Him. Some are satisfied having food on the table and clothes on their backs. Some are satisfied catching all the latest movies. Some are satisfied to own the latest smartphone model, or the latest gadgets or games which they crave after. Some go for food. Some go for fashion: dress, bags, shoes, etc. Some go for education. Can these things really satisfy you?

How many will look for satisfaction in God? Moses lived in the palace for the first forty years of his life. Surely he experienced and enjoyed wealth, wearing royal clothing and eating the best food. He had no lack, whether in term of possession, education or position in society. In the eyes of the world during that time, Moses was successful in every way. But that was not what satisfied Moses. Later, for the next forty years of Moses’ life, God stripped him of all and made him a shepherd in the wilderness looking after sheep. No more royal garments or palace food! Just out in the fields, living in tents and working hard to take care of the wellbeing of the animals: feeding, caring for and protecting them. This must have been most humbling for Moses, who was at the top once upon a

time and then became a lowly shepherd of the sheep for forty years. But is a lowly, simple life his satisfaction?

God was preparing Moses for the final forty years of his life, a time which would be his most difficult years, a time when he would lead a multitude of stiffnecked and stubborn people. Surely Moses had a much simpler and easier time looking after sheep than men! If not for God’s grace and strength, Moses could have abandoned these people. What is Moses’ satisfaction then if it is not wealth or simplicity? Certainly his satisfaction is not with these stiffnecked people! Moses’ satisfaction is with God. It is because of God’s mercy and the beauty of the works of His hands. Wealth may make our life easier and more convenient. But wealth will not bring about true satisfaction. Simplicity of life may make our life less burdensome. But simplicity will not bring about true satisfaction.

In the midst of troubles and struggles, Moses learnt that only God is his satisfaction. For he learnt not to turn to wealth or simplicity of life. He turned to God! God helping him to do all to glorify God was Moses’ only motivation in all his labour. He saw what life was all about from God’s perspective. His complete and full satisfaction was in his God. God became his all-consuming desire. What an encouragement Moses is to us today!

Indeed, O God, Thou art our help in ages past! When I look back at my life, family and ministry, how easily I could have been destroyed. God could have cast me off because of my unfaithfulness as a son, a husband, a father, a pastor, etc. Yet, God is merciful. He made me to see His beauty and took my eyes off those things that are temporal and will one day pass away. Looking instead unto Him who is full of beauty, mercy and grace, I count my blessings and I thank God for all His help. You can, too.

Without God, we will not be where we are. Let us look unto Jesus since He is the only One who is worthy of our all-consuming desire. May God help us. Amen.