We all go through trials. No one in this life is exempt. For those of us who have asked Jesus to come into our hearts and save us from our sins, we have an assurance that God will walk with us through those times. Today’s Bible Journaling verse says, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.” (Psalm 46:1-2 NLT)
Notice that it doesn’t say that the earthquakes and storms will not come, but that God would help us through those times of trial. God promises to always be with us. Whether it’s weathering the storms of illness, death, or broken relationships, God walks with us! He also told us that none of us would go through this life in the absence of trouble. “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NASB 1995)
As I was working on my Bible Journaling, I was listening to Christian music, and the song, You’ve Always Been, sung by the group, Unspoken, came on. It was like God was telling me to share the main point of the song. In the chorus, it says, “You’ve been my Savior, Sustainer when I’m at my end, My Healer, Redeemer, again and again My Mother and my Father, Brother, Sister, and Friend, Everything I’ve needed Lord, You’ve always been, Everything I’ve needed Lord, You’ve always been.” God walks with us through every trial we face. I don’t know about you, but I gain strength from knowing that!
I’ve been in situations where I felt like the issue was more than I could handle, and then God showed up. In one instance, my first husband and I owned an airplane, and we had flown to visit my parents at a lake lot they had purchased, and we spent the day with them. We checked to be sure the weather was going to be ok to fly because our gyro wasn’t working the way it should have, but we knew it would be ok if we had good weather and flew during daylight. The weather guy at the airport gave us a glowing weather report. Well, the day went well, until about mid-afternoon and the clouds started rolling in. We took off for home as soon as we saw the clouds. Then the sun began to set and when it turned dark, we saw car lights on the ground and some stars in the sky. As we were flying, the clouds came down and ground fog came up, and soon we were in the “soup”. Then we couldn’t see stars and we couldn’t see any lights on the ground. I began praying for God to help us, and as soon as I said, “Amen”, my husband looked up and saw one star! We headed for that star, got above the clouds, and found we were close enough to see the runway lights of the airport. We got below the clouds; the ground fog had cleared and we were able to land on the runway. God was with us the entire time. He kept us safe! When we needed Him, He was right there!
In his commentary on Psalms, J. Vernon McGee says, “In times of trouble you can count on God. Christians fail to trust God in times of trouble because they know nothing about His sufficiency. They have not learned that He is sufficient. We need a God who does not fail us. God is sufficient in any circumstance. ‘Though the earth be removed’—the removal of the earth would be the most extreme circumstance I can think of. Has the earth ever been taken out from under you? Have you ever been suspended in space? Most people think they are the only ones who have ever had trouble. Everyone has trouble, but God’s people find God sufficient in time of trouble.”
What storms are you facing? Know that you are not alone! God is there to help when it feels as if the very bottom has dropped out, remember that He is our refuge, our help, our strength, and He is always ready to help us!
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