Lord, Send Help by Kristie Washington

“…and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.”
Numbers 11:17

Do you ever feel like you just can’t do it anymore, whatever “it” is? God has to send help because you are done. It’s too much. As we look at the context of Numbers 11, we find the Israelites complaining about all of the hardships they’ve endured and what they miss about Egypt…the very place and people that enslaved them! Finally, in verse 13b, Moses says to the Lord, “They keep wailing to me…” and in verses 14–15, “I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me…put me to death right now….” That may sound slightly dramatic, but I’ll admit, I think I’ve been there with the Lord more times than I want to admit.

In the Old Testament, the Spirit of the Lord rested on (not in) certain people. Not everyone had the Holy Spirit at the same time, which is why we see the Lord “take of the Spirit” that was on Moses and place it on the 70 elders so they could help him carry the burden of leading the Israelites. He had to have help.

Fast forward with me to the New Testament in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost. The Lord sent the Holy Spirit to fill all believers, not simply to rest on them and be removed. As I reflect on the Lord as my Helper, I think of Christian friends the Lord has sent to help me. They carry the Holy Spirit, the Helper, within them. This then allows them to help me carry burdens in my life that are too much for me. I get to do the same in return. What a beautiful reminder of how the Holy Spirit empowers us to help others. We get to be the hands and feet of Christ. We have been given a “Helper,” the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our time of weakness (John 14:16).

In return, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are sent out to carry one another’s burdens and to lighten the load of our fellow travelers. Galatians 6:2 says we are to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (…to love one another… John 13:34–35).

Thankfully, we, like Moses, can cry out to the Lord for help when we simply cannot carry our burdens any longer. We can know for certain that He will send help because He says that when we call out to Him, He will answer us (Psalm 34:4). He always keeps His word.