Trouble seems to surround us sometimes.
Moses wrote, "The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away" (Psalm 90:10).
World events show just how quickly a skirmish can turn into a war, an illness can lead to a pandemic, problems with the supply chain have a ripple effect.
Then we have personal troubles: finances, illnesses, job, relationships.
And some troubles seem minor in the grand scheme of things, but loom large at the time.
Sometimes, in the midst of trouble, God seems far away. Job wished he could have a one-on-one meeting with God (which eventually happened, though the exchange didn't go as Job envisioned it.). Many of the psalmists said things like "Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10:1).
But God is not far away.
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).
When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him (Psalm 91:15).
Most of the psalmists worked their way back to that reality before they ended. They didn't contradict themselves or each other, but, like us, they needed to reorient their thoughts from how things felt to eternal truth.
God invites us to "call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me" (Psalm 50:15).
Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help (Psalm 22:11).
The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins (Psalm 25:17-18).
He hides, protects us in trouble.
For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock (Psalm 27:5).
You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance (Psalm 32:7).
He's our stronghold in trouble.
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him (Nahum 1:7).
The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. (Psalm 37:39).
He delivers us out of trouble.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. . . .When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles (Psalm 34:6, 17).
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress (Psalm 107:6).
We need to keep our focus on Him:
But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-41).
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me (John 14:1).
Since He is with us in trouble and helps, protects, strengthens, and delivers, we can have peace.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27).
And we can praise and glorify Him.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble (Psalm 107:2).
Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me (Psalm 50:15).
May we always know God's presence, protection, and peace in trouble.
(This post was inspired by the Daily Light on the Daily Path reading for October 11.)
(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)
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