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Dexu Xia

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Sep 14, 2018, 1:04:06 AM9/14/18

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Help from Heaven

Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel! Joshua 10:14

SOS, the Morse code signal, was created in 1905 because sailors needed a way to indicate extreme distress. The signal gained notoriety in 1910 when used by the sinking ship Steamship Kentucky, saving all forty-six people aboard.

While SOS may be a more recent invention, the urgent cry for help is as old as humanity. We hear it often in the Old Testament story of Joshua, who faced opposition from fellow Israelites (Joshua 9:18) and challenging terrain (3:15–17) for more than fourteen years as the Israelites slowly conquered and settled the land God had promised them. During this struggle “the Lord was with Joshua” (6:27).

In Joshua 10, the Israelites go to the aid of the Gibeonites, allies of Israel who were being attacked by five kings. Joshua knew that he needed the Lord’s help to defeat so many powerful enemies (v. 12). God responded with a hailstorm, even stopping the sun in the middle of the sky to give Israel more time to defeat the enemy. Joshua 10:14 recounts, “Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!”

If you are in the midst of a challenging situation, you can send out an SOS to God. Although help will look different than the assistance Joshua received, perhaps help comes through an unexpected job, an understanding doctor, or peace in the midst of grief. Be encouraged that these are ways He is responding to your call for help and fighting for you.

Thank You, Father, for walking with me on this difficult journey and hearing me when I cry out to You.

As we cry out to God for help, we can trust that He will be with us.

来自上帝的帮助

耶和华为以色列争战。-约书亚记10章14节

国际通用的求救信号“SOS”于1905年开始被采用，让船员在紧急情况时请求救援。这个信号在1910年“肯塔基号”蒸汽船遇难时使用而出名，船上的46人也因此获救。

SOS也许是个较近代的发明，但自古以来，人类都会在急难中呼救。在旧约圣经里，我们看到约书亚也发出这样的呼求。以色列民花了超过14年的时间，逐步征服上帝所赐的应许之地并定居下来。期间约书亚面对了以色列民的反对（约书亚记9章18节）和险恶的地形（3章15-17节）。在这样的艰难中，“耶和华与约书亚同在”（6章27节）。

在约书亚记第10章中，描述了以色列民去援助被五位国王合攻的盟友基遍人。约书亚知道他需要求告上帝的帮助才能战胜这么多强大的敌人（12节）。上帝听了他的呼求降下冰雹，甚至让“日头停留”（13节），好让以色列民有更多时间击溃敌军。约书亚记10章14节记载：“耶和华为以色列争战。”

如果你正身处于困境之中，你也可以向上帝发出求救信号。你得到的帮助或许和约书亚的不同，可能你是得到一份出乎意料的工作、找到一位有同理心的医生，或是在忧伤中得着平安。期盼你能从中得着激励，因为这些都是上帝回应你的呼求、为你争战的方式。

天父谢谢祢，因祢在这艰难的旅程中与我同行，
并垂听我向祢求救的声音。