It is a common fact that everybody goes through challenges and tough times. There are periods however when one would wish with great eagerness to throw in the towel and just walk away, with our heads hanging in defeat. On several occasions, I have also experienced such “heavy weight” situations. However, my only source of strength and fortitude at such times is the Word of God. I would thus like to share with you in this brief message, a passage of scripture that reassures of God’s promises and assures of his deliverance in such trying times. It is important to mention here that these scriptures when combined with your faith are just as potent regardless of what situation you are facing; a minor headache or a terminal disease, a little financial stress to a major financial setback, a little disagreement with your spouse to divorce. Paul explained this beautifully when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:6:
“…for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
This means that it is when we allow the Holy Spirit to infuse life into the words of the bible through our faith in him that the words become life giving. That is why some people can read the Word without any change or meaning imparted to their lives; because the Spirit is not involved. I have no doubt however, that the words you are about to read will transform you and inspire hope in you.
The young David whose life is detailed in the bible is one person most of us can really relate to because of the many challenges he went through. Most of the Psalms he wrote were written in times of duress, tension or just after victory from the hands of his enemies. The bible chronicles the life of this amazing man from the days of his youth to the day of his death, a period of over 50 years. One of such rich passages of scripture that he wrote is Psalm 46. In this passage, he talks about God being a “very present help in trouble”.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” Psalm 46:1-3
One of the most fascinating things about the above scripture is that it presents God not just as a help in time of trouble but as a very present help in time of trouble. This implies that whenever trouble does arise, this “very present” God is sure to deliver his help to us. In view of this, many of us are thus quick to assume that an assurance of God’s deliverance implies that he will deliver us when we want him to. However, God’s thoughts are higher than man’s and so are his ways. When we go through tough challenges, our first inclination is to get out of such situations; and with good reason. On the other hand, God always desires to glorify his name in such situations and to build our faith and trust in him. It is majorly because of this misguided assumption that most people begin to entertain doubt in their hearts about the integrity of God to honor what he has said he will do. God will show up in your situation but you must settle in your hearts to wait for him to show up. He won’t show up on your schedule but on his.
David presents a very bold statement in regards to the strength of God’s help in the second verse of Psalm 46:
“Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”
This statement shows the depth of trust and confidence this mighty king had in his God. He mentioned as a matter of fact that even though the whole earth were to be moved out of its orbit (a fictional phenomenon portrayed in lots of sci-fi films) and the mountains were to crumble and fall into the sea, he would not be filled with fear because God is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Verse 5 of this same Psalm tells us the source of King David’s confidence:
“God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.”
This means his confidence was in the fact that God was with him and in the fact that even though we are to wait for God’s deliverance, he is a loving and caring father and will hurry to our aid when we call on him. God will not desert you in your hour of need!
The question therefore is how to sustain God’s manifest presence around us. We are given a clue to this in another Psalm:
“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel”. Psalm 22:3
So we understand that God dwells in the midst of the praises of his people and as seen from verse 5 of Psalm 46 quoted above, when God is in the midst of his people, they will not be moved because God’s help is made available to them early. Hence, by maintaining a joyful attitude, we are able to carry God’s presence and thus his much needed help. This is really important to mention because most people going through tough times carry long faces and are quick to tell all who care to hear about their woes and unending trials. However, an atmosphere of complaints does not please God or welcome him to stay. There is a saying that goes: “When you thank God for his finger, you will see his hand.” This means when we thank God for the little things he has done, he will be glad to do the bigger things for us too.
Recapping all that has been said, God is a very present help in times of trouble and he is always eager to send us his help when we need it. However, God does not do things based on our timing but on his. He does this so that all the glory from his delivering you will belong to him alone. Thus, we must wait patiently for him to move at his own timing, knowing that he won’t put us in harm’s way intentionally and then forsake us. During the time when we wait for his deliverance, we could study the Word and find scripture after scripture that assures us of God’s help. This will build our faith and help our trust in God to mature. We also mentioned that God sends his help to those with whom he is with and the best way to carry his presence is to maintain an attitude of praise, joy and hope. This also helps to take your eyes off the challenging situation you are facing and to place it on God.
By following the simple principles outlined in this message, you will be able to maintain a calm and peaceful spirit and ensure that God comes to your help speedily.