"A Very Present Help"

"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).

The earth, the mountains, and the waters of our lives will be removed, they will be carried into the midst of the sea, they will roar and and be troubled, and they will shake with the swelling thereof.

"We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

Understanding and awareness of this reality should press us into seeking greater knowledge of God as "our refuge and strength." In times of relative quiet and rest, however, we are strongly tempted to ignore the fact of our need for living and vibrant relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks for such times of blessing, and rightfully so. There is a spiritual danger in them nevertheless, and we do well to remind, encourage, and challenge each other often that in a world such as the one in which we live, trouble is sure.

Far more sure, however, is our Lord's "very present help." For the born again believer in the Lord Jesus, the greatest reality of troubled times is the loving and comforting presence of God. I love David's "very" in the promise he affirms. Our Lord is always with us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. But He is "very" with us in times of challenge. Certainly we may not feel it, or see it in a manifested way to our senses and reason. Nevertheless, God's comforting presence of love pervades the troubled earth, mountains, and waters of our lives. If we will believe, both before the trouble comes, and when it is upon us, we will discover that the Lord Jesus is indeed our refuge and strength.

The hard but redeeming truth of the matter is this: regardless of the nature or measure of the trial, we experience God's comfort to the degree we trust Him and submit ourselves to His glory and will. The balm is there. It is "very present." The Holy Spirit bears witness, the Word of God promises, and fellow believers will often be sent to provide a confirming word to the reality. Will we believe, and will the glory and will of God be our primary focus? "According to your faith be it unto you" declared the Lord Jesus to blind men whose eyes were opened because they trusted His Word (Matthew 9:29-30). The same will be true in our lives as God's assuring and reassuring presence awaits our trusting determination to believe that He is willing and able to be whatever we need Him to be "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."

"I will trust in Thee."

(Psalm 55:23)