Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
This passage of scripture points us to the Eternal God as our refuge in times of trouble, times in which we seem to be cornered by our enemies with no way out. It is comforting to know that as created beings, we have someone we can turn to in every type of seemingly unresolvable difficulty, someone who always has the answers, and can make new answers whenever the need arises. The twelve disciples experienced this first hand when on one occasion they were crossing a body of water, and as the night wore on a violent storm suddenly burst upon them, forcing them to row as hard as possible to reach the other shore, but to no avail. Finally, when all hope was lost, and they had resigned themselves to an untimely demise, they saw in the distance what seemed to them as a ghost coming towards them, to put the final nail in the coffin, or so they thought. But it was Christ, who from the other side had witnessed their plight, and their futile efforts to save themselves, and so He decided to take a stroll on the billows, in order to make a personal rescue. Let's read:
Matthew 14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
This dramatic rescue by Christ obviously made an indelible impression on the minds of His disciples and contains very vital instructions for us, who are living in very turbulent times. Often when we are in a dangerous situation, and we forget to pray, The Lord in His mercy comes to our rescue in a manner that sometimes seems ominous. God does not always deliver in conventional methods or by time-proven means, and therefore we should expect anything as it pertains to help in times of trouble.
For example, when I was much younger, we were doing some gardening with my dad, who had repeatedly told us not to place our bare hands in any hole in the ground, because of the possibility of dangerous spiders and snakes which could be lurking in them. However, I became consumed with the pleasant task of digging holes to put corn seeds in, and I forgot the instruction he had given. And so I placed my hand in one of the holes, when a pink and black coral snake slid out from beneath the soil. I had no time to scream, or even to call for help, but somehow, God diverted the deadly serpent from me and I was saved from almost certain death, since we were far away in the country, where there were no hospitals close by.
God does not want us to only seek Him in times of trouble, but also when life is going smoothly, and blessings and sunshine are our daily experience. If we form the habit of calling upon God in good times, then when the troublous times come around, we would have already formed the habit of seeking His face, and so He can come through for us in any emergency. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which should be put to memory by all who trust in God. Let's read:
Psalms 34:6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
May we ever remember these mighty promises, especially when in perplexing situations, for God is faithful who has promised. "Good night" and God bless!