05.16.14

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. - Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV. 

If you shot yourself accidentally in the head what would you do? Personally, I would either call 911 or somehow go to the nearest emergency room and ask for help. But, no, that is not what a 43-year-old Alaskan man who lives at Anchor Point did. He self medicated the wound with Neosporin for five days until he finally decided to ask for help at the South Peninsula Hospital Emergency Room. Beth Ipson a spokeswoman for the Alaskan State Troopers said that the “Investigation revealed the man had shot himself in the head while negligently handling a firearm. The gun the man accidentally shot himself with was a .22 long rifle. He was playing around with it and shot himself. No treatment before today other than he put Neosporin on the wounds.” (ktuu 05.15.14) 

Now we understand why the man did not want to go to the ER, because with a gunshot wound it would have to be investigated by authorities. Also, it would be revealed that he was playing around with a gun. However, we don’t know whether there were other things involved. Was the gun stolen? Was he a convicted felon in possession of a firearm? Was he high on an illegal substance? All of those things would make a person reluctant to seek help for a self inflicted gunshot wound. 

We sometimes use reasoning similar to what the man in Alaska may have used before we seek help from God. Things like, I haven’t been in church for 20 years so why would He help me now? I’ve done all these bad things, this, and this, and that; so there is not much use in praying now. I did this stupid thing which I know is a sin, that caused all of this trouble, so how can I ask God to help me? If I really got right with God, what would all of my friends think? 

This is what the Bible tells us: 

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV). 

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15 NKJV). 

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:11 NKJV)! 

Now it is true that if you have wandered away from God and refuse to ask Him for help it is unlikely that He will help. But the first step back is to admit that you need help and that you want God to help you. Sincerely ask God for His forgiveness (1 John 1:9), and then these promises of help become God’s promises to you. Or, like the man in Alaska you can keep on putting Neosporin on your gunshot wound to the head. But it is not going to do you much good!