Yesterday my friend Terry Dorsett posted something on Facebook that drew me
into Psalm 46. I realized that I have been throwing a little pity party lately
because of the physical and financial struggles that my wife and I have been
facing. Looking at our struggles so closely has moved my focus from the “very
present help in trouble” to just the trouble.
The financial hardship has been significant. The physical
struggles, especially for my beloved, have been difficult. The troubles we face
are large. However, God is able to work wonders, even in the midst of the
troubles. He has seen us through and has provided what is needed at the moment
it is needed. He has proven time and time again that He is my refuge and
strength, and my very present help in trouble.
Wait….look at that verse again.
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in
trouble.
Did you catch that little word slipped into the message of
that verse? It states that God s “a very present help…IN…trouble.” Now, I would
much rather that God were “the present help keeping me out of trouble,”
but His word assures me that, though I face hardship, He is there with me IN
the difficulty.
Financial challenges of car payments, educational pursuits,
and a variety of mounting expenses may loom large, but God is “a very present
help IN trouble.”
Health problems such as dental expenses, slow recovery,
extended illness, and unexplained pains are difficult to bear, but God is “a
very present help IN trouble.”
The demands of life and work may seem overwhelming, the
piles of unfinished assignments may be expanding daily, and the energy needed
to complete the work may seem unavailable, but God is “a very present help IN
trouble.”
The message for me, in the midst of all my worry, is that
God is PRESENT and IN the midst of my life’s trouble. I do not need to fear,
worry, or panic. What I need is to trust and rest in the One who is my REFUGE
and STRENGTH.
Pray for me, and I will pray for you as well, for God to be our refuge IN the midst of our trouble.
Blessings,
Dave Bentley
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Dave Bentley is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Wallingford, VT and a middle school teacher in the public school system. He blogs frequently at: http://bigdbentley.com/
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