But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. (Judges 3:9 ESV)
Othniel
Crying out to the Lord works.
Here, foreign Kings were oppressing the tribes of Israel… and while we do not know how long it took, they eventually cried out to God.
And God heard them.
But God was not rewarding the Israelites for finally crying out to Him. He did not withhold His help until they said just the right words in just the right way.
But the crying out of the Israelites changed everything. They finally knew they depended on Him. They finally remembered they had a profound, rich, and beautiful relationship with Him. They finally, with broken hearts, spoke to God as THEIR God, as THEIR Father, as THEIR helper.
God is gracious to His people.
And the Israelites finally acknowledged that, and were saved.
He is gracious to us, too, in the same way. He helps because He loves His people, not because we said magical words. He helps because He loves his people, not because we followed the right formula. He helps because He loves His people, not because we proved ourselves.
He helps because He loves His people… so love HIM!
What a blessing God’s help is!