A Call for Help

Bible Reading: Psalm 118:6-8

“Mom!” Damian called. “Phoebe and I are riding our bikes over to Grandpa’s.” Damian and his sister had weekly Bible verse challenges from their grandpa, and they were ready to visit him to say their verses.

But when Grandpa opened the door, he didn’t invite them in. “I can’t visit with you today,” he said, “but I hope you learned that verse—Psalm 22:11. Go on home and study it some more. You can say it to me another day.” He quickly closed the door.

“Grandpa’s acting funny,” Damian said as they started off on their bikes. “And Psalm 22:11? That wasn’t one of the verses we were supposed to learn this week. Why does he want us to learn it now?”

Phoebe shrugged. “Maybe Mom will know what’s going on.”

When they got home, they told Mom about Grandpa’s strange behavior. “He mentioned a verse we weren’t even studying this week,” Damian said. “Psalm 22:11.”

Mom looked the verse up on her phone and gasped. “We have to call the police!”

A little while later, they were at Grandpa’s house, this time with Mom. A police officer was already there, and he explained that two thieves had broken in. They had kept a gun pointed at Grandpa while he answered the door. Then they’d tied him up and were hunting for valuables when they were interrupted by the police.

“Mom, how did you know Grandpa was in trouble?” Phoebe asked later that night.

“Psalm 22:11 says, ‘Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help,’” Mom said. “When you told me he’d mentioned that verse, I knew something was wrong.”

“Wow! So he used a Bible verse as a call for help,” Damian said. “He must have been scared when those thieves broke in and he was all alone.”

“I’m sure he was scared,” said Mom, “but he wasn’t alone. Jesus promises to always be with us, and we can call on Him in times of trouble. That’s one of the reasons Grandpa wants to help you memorize Bible verses—God’s Word helps us remember that we need to trust and depend on Him for help.”

Phoebe smiled and looked at her brother. “Then we’d better get started on the verses Grandpa gave us to memorize for next week!” – Jan L. Hansen

How About You?

Are you going through a difficult time right now? Do you feel scared and alone? The Bible says that if you trust in Jesus, you’re never alone, even when things are scary or stressful. Call on Him for help whenever you’re in distress. Then read and memorize God’s Word to help you remember that He promises to always be with you.

Today’s Key Verse:
Psalm 120:1 I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Call on Jesus for help