Week 52
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
The DNA of hopelessness is comprised of an absolute sense of helplessness. We feel hopeless when we are convinced that there is no one and nothing to help us in our time of trouble and need. When this happens, there can be only one result – DESPAIR.
Despair sucks the air out of the soul; it dries up every bit of life-giving moisture in the heart. When in despair, we shrivel up and die emotionally, yielding our lives to the random winds of adversarial powers.
But in the midst of our trouble, and possibly our resultant despair, the Christian must remember this truism represented by our text. He is our refuge and strength; He is our very present help in trouble. The vicissitudes of life’s problems, and the overwhelming circumstances of life’s difficulties, do not change what God is for us. He remains the same through the years, no matter what blows through our lives. He is a refuge to whom we can flee; He is our strength to keep us going, no matter what comes. God is not distant; but instead, He is present (yea, “very present”), and He is our “help in trouble.”
There is no trouble that strains God’s resources; there is no hardship that drains God of energy and capacity. The darkness of affliction flees when the light of God’s power and love are engaged.
Dear Christian friend, the Lord does not promise that we Christians are exempt from life’s disappointments and dangers. He does not promise that we will escape the clutches of discouragement, but He does promise to be our help in trouble, whenever and wherever it may come. Looking to Jesus in the midst of your difficulty, and turning to Jesus in prayer and faith when your heart is heavy, is the tonic that will bolster you and support you in the hour of your need, no matter how great that need may be. God’s strength is your portion when you are weak; God’s help is your hope when you are in distress. In fact, you can only truly discover what God is for you when you need Him to this degree. When life sinks to its lowest, you mount to the highest point of understanding; it is here where you will find how glorious, good, and loving our God really is. And when we find God in this sense, though the journey of this discovery is painful, you will give thanks for the truth that you possess. You will give thanks, and you will glorify the God who chose you, saved you, and sustains you with His free sovereign grace and power.
Prayer: Dear Lord, when I feel emotionally finished, help me to look to You in faith and prayer. When I feel that my circumstances are such that I have no hope of a good future, help me to fight the darkness with the light of Your covenant promise and truth. Thank You for loving me, and thank You for Your grace. Amen.