{"id":47858,"date":"2022-06-26T21:27:43","date_gmt":"2022-06-26T18:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=47858"},"modified":"2025-05-28T14:36:17","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T11:36:17","slug":"but-in-times-of-trouble-they-say-stand-up-and-save-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2022\/06\/26\/but-in-times-of-trouble-they-say-stand-up-and-save-us\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cBut in Times of Trouble, They Say: \u2018Stand Up and Save Us!\u2019\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever met people who only reach out to you when they need something? They don\u2019t check on you, don\u2019t build a relationship, and the only time they contact you is when they\u2019re in trouble. And as soon as you help them, they disappear\u2014until the next crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t feel good, does it?<\/p>\n

Now imagine how God must feel when people treat Him the same way.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the kind of shallow relationship many people today have with God. They don\u2019t seek Him daily, don\u2019t pray, read the Bible, or live for Him. But when trouble comes\u2014sickness, financial crisis, family problems\u2014they suddenly remember God and cry out for help.<\/p>\n

This is not new. God addressed the same issue through the prophet Jeremiah:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey say to a tree, \u2018You are my father,\u2019 and to a stone, \u2018You gave me birth.\u2019 For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, \u2018Arise and save us!\u2019<\/strong>\u201d
\n\u2014Jeremiah 2:27<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

God was pointing out how His people had abandoned Him, replacing Him with idols\u2014yet when disaster struck, they expected Him to rescue them. It\u2019s a picture of hypocrisy: ignoring God in everyday life but calling on Him in emergencies.<\/p>\n

Sadly, this describes many believers today. Prayer has become a last resort. Worship is occasional and often transactional. Reading Scripture is rare. People don\u2019t seek God for who He is\u2014but for what He can do.<\/p>\n

True Relationship vs. Religious Convenience<\/strong><\/h3>\n

God desires relationship, not ritual. He is not a vending machine for miracles. Jesus made this very clear when He said:<\/p>\n

\u201cNot everyone who says to me, \u2018Lord, Lord,\u2019 will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.<\/strong> On that day many will say to me, \u2018Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?\u2019
\nAnd then will I declare to them, \u2018I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.\u2019\u201d
\n\u2014Matthew 7:21\u201323<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This passage isn\u2019t about atheists or unbelievers\u2014it\u2019s about religious people. People who were doing \u201cspiritual\u201d things but lacked a real relationship with Jesus. They used His name, but did not live under His lordship.<\/p>\n

God Is Not Obligated to Bless Disobedience<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s be honest: seeking God only when you need something is spiritual manipulation<\/strong>, not faith. It’s using God as a backup plan instead of honoring Him as Lord. That mindset doesn\u2019t lead to blessing\u2014it leads to judgment.<\/p>\n

In Jeremiah 2:28\u201329<\/strong>, God responds to this false religiosity:<\/p>\n

\u201cBut where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you, in your time of trouble! For as many as your cities are your gods, O Judah. Why do you contend with me? You have all transgressed against me, declares the Lord.\u201d
\n\u2014Jeremiah 2:28\u201329<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He\u2019s saying, \u201cIf your false gods could give you comfort, success, healing, or security\u2014then why don\u2019t they help you now?\u201d<\/em> God doesn\u2019t want us to lean on superstition, anointing oils, or religious items. He wants our hearts.<\/p>\n

Salvation Is a Daily Walk<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A true believer doesn\u2019t seek God only for deliverance but lives daily in His presence\u2014whether in peace or in pain. God is not just Savior in trouble; He is Lord every day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.\u201d
\n\u2014Deuteronomy 6:5<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This love is not conditional. It\u2019s not based on answered prayers or prosperity. It\u2019s based on knowing Him\u2014and walking with Him through all seasons.<\/p>\n

What Should We Do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We need to return to authentic faith<\/strong>\u2014a faith that honors God whether life is good or hard. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n