Help! Let Me Out!

“I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.” —Psalm 88:8

Often times in life we find ourselves in situations where we feel “shut up” or trapped.  Job felt trapped in his bitter trial with no way out.  Job tried going forward, backward, to the left and to the right, but found no escape (Job 23:8-9).

A couple of months ago my wife and I visited an Airstream dealer to check them out.  From the reviews I read and videos I saw on YouTube a person can tell the quality of an Airstream by the sound of slamming of the door.  I wanted to hear it for myself.  So, as Barb entered the RV, I slammed the door behind her.  Wow! It really sounded solid and secure.  In fact, it was so secure it locked Barb on the inside.  I could not open the door so I told Barb to unlock it from the inside.  She tried the door latch several times but it wouldn’t open and she didn’t know how to unlock it.  After about five minutes of trying, I finally went inside the dealership and asked the help of a salesmen.  He came with the key and unlocked the door.  I’ll never forget the relieved look on Barb’s face with the door opened.

When we feel like were are “shut up” in a no-win situation, we need help from outside ourselves.  Just as I had to go get a salesman, we need to admit we need help.  And just as the salesman came with the key, Jesus has the key to free us from our captivity.

But, we must be patient and not panic while we wait for His deliverance (James 1:3-4). Remember, Job remained in he trial for a long time.  But God eventually came and “turned the captivity of Job… and blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning” (Job 42:10, 12).