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“I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will free you from their bondage, and I will rescue you with an outstretched arm {with special and vigorous action}.” Exodus 6:6 The Amplified Bible 

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear.” Isaiah 59:1 NKJV 

When God created me, He gave me very short arms. I find myself frustrated at times, trying to “reach out and touch something” only to find that I cannot reach it—no matter how far I stretch or how hard I try. Sometimes I attempt to help someone else and end up doing more damage than good, as I drop things and make messes that others have to clean up. Short arms can be a deficit, especially when it comes to assisting others.  

Both physically and spiritually, we find ourselves “short armed” at times, in regards to both giving and receiving help. It is not that we do not see the need, but rather that we do not have what it takes to give assistance. We know the situations and have an idea of what needs to be done, but no matter how far we stretch or how hard we try, our attempts are of no use. Very simply put: The solutions are out of our reach.  

I am so glad that God does not have short arms. As a matter-of-fact, the Word clearly states that His arm is not shortened at all. He is able to stretch His arm far enough to help us no matter what we need or where we are; and He does it with vigor and a sense of satisfaction that comes from knowing that His children are dependent and calling on Him. He has very sharp ears that allow Him to hear our cries and by His very nature—which is love—He uses special means to rescue us from bondages, burdens, dangers, and every other thing.  

When we are in danger of any kind, it is crucial that we cry out to our God. As parents, many times we have heard and responded to one of our children who cried out, but that would not have happened had they not alerted us to their need! They called out or cried out or perhaps even screamed, and off we rushed to the rescue. We have a Father Who stands alert day and night to the needs of His children. Many times we are not rescued, because we fail to cry out. When we bring our needs to God, we are showing our dependence upon Him. According to His Word, He can save, He can free from bondage, and He can rescue. He longs to do these works in the lives of all of His children.  

If you find yourself to be in bondage to something or someone, burdened beyond what you are truly able to bear, or if you are in trouble in any area of your life, I have a message of hope for you. Do not despair! Cry out to God, because your time of rescue is near. The long arms of the Lord will answer your cries, dry your tears, and rescue you in many more miraculous ways than your mind can imagine. Simply call out! He loves to hear you and longs to respond quickly to His precious ones. 

©2003 Melinda L. Lancaster. All rights reserved.