"A Very Present Help In Trouble"

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Psalm 56:1-11; “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when the morning dawns. The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold (our refuge). Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. ‘Cease striving (be still) and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold (our refuge).”

In this passage of Scripture the Psalmist felt the helplessness of his own strength….Maybe you have identified with this sense of helplessness sometime during your lifetime as you have faced troubled times….When we experience the loss of a loved one and are grieving or brokenhearted, there may not be mountains visibly or literally being carried into the sea, but in a very strange way, the earth is trembling, and you may find yourselves under the influence of a very powerful force -- the force of death….We know very little about the force of death, a force that very quickly puts us in touch with our limited capacities as human beings….It was in this type of insecurity that the Psalmist points the way for us!!

He exhorts us to LISTEN TO THE STILL QUIET VOICE OF GOD….WE DO THIS BY BEING STILL AND KNOWING THAT GOD IS GOD AND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL!!!

What does the conquering of kingdoms have to do with our grief?….It has everything to do with grief!….Grief shakes us at our very deepest level….Grief creates fear….And, from our limited view, our world may appear to be crumbling and turning upside down; BUT GOD IS THERE TO HELP US IN OUR TIME OF NEED!!!

It is in the midst of this kind of trouble and grief that God comes to us and offers us the kind of refuge and strength that we need, right when we need it most….Jesus said, “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.”….Jesus not only helps us, but He is a present help in time of need!!!

Death does not have to be the destructive and mysterious force we have feared it to be….If our hearts are properly prepared for death, death can be an event we all look forward to….If we have asked and received Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives as our Personal Savior and Lord, then we can look toward death with the joy in our hearts that we will be reunited with our loved ones who have gone on before; but even greater than that, we will get to see the very ONE WHO died for our sins to save us from an eternity in hell!!!

For God is with us and He will never leave us or forsake us and He IS in complete control….During times of sorrow and grief, don’t run away from God; allow God to give you refuge, strength, love, and comfort, here on earth, and for eternity!!!!

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