It’s a common fact that everybody goes through challenges. Sometimes, they create periods when one would wish to throw in the towel and just walk away, with heads hanging in defeat.
Whenever we experience such “heavy weight” situations, our source of strength and fortitude should be the Word of God. There is a passage of scripture that reassures us of God’s promises and assures us of his deliverance in such trying times. These scriptures, when combined with faith make tremendous power available regardless of what situation you are facing. Paul explained this beautifully when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:6:
…for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
This means when we allow the Holy Spirit to infuse life into the words of the bible through our faith in him, those words become life giving. This is why some people can read the Word without any change or meaning imparted to their lives; because the Spirit is not involved. The words you are about to read however will transform and inspire hope in you.
David of the bible is one person most of us can relate to because of the many challenges he went through. Most of the Psalms he wrote were written in times of duress, tension or right 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 passages of scripture that he wrote is in 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 this scripture is that it presents God, not just as a help in troubled times 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.
Understanding this, many of us are quick to assume that an assurance of God’s deliverance means 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 primarily because of this that most people begin to entertain doubt in their hearts about the integrity of God and his ability to honor what he has said he will do. God will show up in your situation but you must settle in your heart 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 the mighty King David 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!
How to keep God’s presence with Us
The question therefore is how to keep 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 earlier, 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 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 listen 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.
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 deliverance 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.
What to do while you wait on God
During the time when we wait for his deliverance, we could study the Word and find scriptures 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 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.
David Adeniji is the Founder and President of The Behold File, a teaching ministry founded in 2003. The Behold File provides a platform through which the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of men to see Jesus so they can be changed to be like him.