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.)
Stray Thoughts 
Amen. When life is troubled, I find comfort in going to God in prayer. Have a blessed week dear friend. 🙂
Yes–that’s our main avenue of help. Sometimes all we can do is relinquish everything to Him. But sometimes He gives us guidance as to what He wants us to do. Either way, prayer is a comfort.
Peace can only be found inside you. Things external, quiet sunrises and sunsets, holding hands with your loved one, napping with your dog, can bring it forth, but we must spend time with God to “fill our tanks” first. Great post Ms. Barbara. Thank you ma’am.
Thanks so much, J. D. That’s so true, those other things can only help for a while. But He gives “peace that passes understanding.”
I so needed to read these words this morning.
I’m so thankful they were a blessing to you.
Thank you, Barbara, for this post full of Scripture, for truly He is our refuge in times of trouble and we find Him in His Word.
Amen–thanks for both those truths.
I love this, Barbara: The psalmists “didn’t contradict themselves or each other, but, like us, they needed to reorient their thoughts from how things felt to eternal truth.” It’s a daily (often hourly) process, isn’t it? Thank you for reminding us of all these truths about God.
Yes, sometimes I need those reminders several times a day.
I loved this – such a comfort to remember that God IS present and close even though I may not feel it. I’m glad we have the record of the psalmists and the prophets who had to wrestle through their feelings of being alone and abandoned to reach the truth that God was with them. Reorienting their thoughts, as you said so beautifully.
Thanks so much. I love the psalms for many reasons, and their “wrestlings” are one. I’m thankful we’re not the only ones who do that. And I’m thankful for their example of reminding themselves of truth about God.
This is so helpful, and I love how you always base these types of posts on Scripture. In fact, I’ve come to your blog to search for such topics before. It’s a treasure trove! I’m reading a new devotional by Joni and she had a thought today that reminds me of this. She said, when she’s having hard day, she thinks of one promise God has made that is applicable (like, if she’s feeling weak, she thinks of Him promising that in our weakness He is strong). Then she repeats that promise back to herself throughout the day. I liked that.
That’s a great practice. And a great reminder why memorizing Scripture is so important.
Barbara, I loved this post. This > “… they [the psalmists] needed to reorient their thoughts from how things felt to eternal truth.” And so do we. There is so much trouble in the world at this time and we need to remind ourselves, reorient our thoughts, that God’s presence, protection, and peace is ours in the midst of trouble.
Amen. I was thinking the last time I read through Esther that even with a pagan king and an active enemy, God was working out His purposes all along. I pray and trust He is doing the same today.
Amen. I join you in that prayer.
I love all the scriptures in this post! They are so powerful, and I’ve held on to some of things many times! In fact, I’ve bookmarked this post for the future. Wonderful post!
Thanks so much, Melanie.
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Amen Barbara. “May we always know God’s presence, protection, and peace in trouble” indeed.
Thanks so much for sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
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