When Trouble Comes
What should we do when trouble comes?
The answer for this question is in Psalm 46, which teaches us to be still when trouble comes our way.
Psalms 46:10 - Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalms 46 was the favorite Psalm of Martin Luther King. God is a stronghold and a tower. It's a psalm that tells you what to do when trouble comes. One thing that all of us need to beware of is that real trouble will come one day. It's very important that we be prepared when trouble comes.
Some of you are going through times of real stress and difficulty. Psalms 46 will be a blessing to you. In poetic language, the psalmist describes the way trouble can come. He talks about the earth being removed, and the mountains being carried into the midst of the sea. That is a picture of an earthquake. Sometimes trouble comes with the sheer finality of an earthquake. All of a sudden it's there, and there's nothing you can do. Sometimes trouble comes to people like that - without any warning, with no way of resisting it, with total finality.
There is a power of evil in the world. Things do happen, but they always happen under the jurisdiction of God. In other words, God never allows anything to happen to His children outside of what He believes they can cope with.
Trouble does come - sometimes with the force of a flood like it did to Job. But now listen to this: "God Is Our Refuge and Strength, a Very ... Present Help ... In Trouble." Now what do we do when trouble comes?
Three things are outlined for us in this Psalms 46.
- Realize when trouble comes that God is a Refuge for His people.
Realize, according to verse five, that God is Resident among His people.
Realize that, according to verse four, God sends a River of blessing to His people.
It is the understanding of these three things that equip people to cope with the trouble that either will come, or has come, or is still here.
We must realize that God is continually available. Christ is the One who opens His arms to you and says, "Come to Me with all your burdens, roll them upon Me, give Me the problem, and I promise to be what you need."
We must realize that God our Refuge is not only continually available, but He is thoroughly adequate. God is your strength. The Risen Lord is adequate. If you closely relate to Him, there is no way that you can be finally and ultimately defeated. This is the lovely message of what to do in trouble. Recognize that God is my Refuge, and turn to Him.
He is a God of overflowing grace and overruling serenity, and He is therefore a God of power and purpose alive within you. If you really believe that, when trouble comes your attitude toward trouble is going to be different. You realize that the God who is resident in your life is the God of power and purpose. He is the Most High. He is not only the Most High, but it says here in Psalms 46:7, that He "the Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress; the Lord of hosts is with us."
Psalms 46:10, which surely, is a great favorite with a lot of people: "Be still, and know that I am God!" See it in its context. It's in the context of trouble. "Be still, and know that I am God." The words, "Be still" mean literally "relax." God is still on the throne. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will deliver from all the troubles at the right time and through the right sources. Hence be comforted in your heart.
This week, reflect on God's presence in your life during trouble. Praise Him for his deliverance. How can I be still in the midst of trouble?