“God is…a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1
Most of us do not apprehend this verse in our everyday lives. God is a very present help. Do you feel the closeness of those words? It is almost as if the Lord is tenderly whispering: “Child, look! I am right here!”
This is a startling truth for the Christian. Our God is close. He is immanent. The Holy Spirit lives within us, ever prodding us to the presence of our great Father and reminding us of the promises of our great Christ. A day will never fail to pass in which He ceases to be with us. This is the promise He has made. To you. And to me.
But again, most of us do not believe this day-to-day. We are forgetful people. We wake up stressed, fatigued, or worried—anything but satisfied in the great security we have in Jesus. The first thought upon our minds when we wake up is not “God is with me,” but rather, “What needs to be done today?” We fail to rest in the sweet embrace of our never-changing Savior, who bids us everyday to “come” and find our rest in Him.
Listen to the Word: God is a very present help. Do not nullify this truth for yourself. If God has proven Himself for you by sending Christ for your sins, why would He not also with Him graciously give us all things (Rm 8:32)? In your trials? In your sickness? In the mundanity of life? Why would He leave?
I believe we fall prey to the subtle lie that God has left us because we do not believe He would ever draw near to the messiest parts of our lives. The devil is in the details, they say. But we often leave God out of them too. “If only He knew my life,” we think, “what I’m going through. This situation? No one will understand. Not even God.” Have you ever had these thoughts?
Oh believer, do not believe for one second that your God cannot understand your situation. No! He is a very present help. How? Because of Jesus. The same God who holds the universe also descended into the mess of your world, dwelt among you, died for you, and daily lives to make intercession for you. Your Savior is also said to be a Shepherd. And this Shepherd says “I know my sheep” (Jn 10:14). There is not a moment He lets you out of His careful watch!
He is also said to be your “Great High Priest.” He daily says “come to me,” for He, being acquainted with life in a sin-ridden world, is able to perfectly “sympathize with our weaknesses” (Mt 11:28, Heb 4:15). He is with you! He is for you!
Oh Christian, I wonder what our lives would be like—what joy, peace, and comfort we’d have—if we only took our God’s Word for what it’s worth.
Our God is a very present help in time of trouble. Do you believe that today?
What embrace with Him would we find,
Turning every corner of life
Once thinking we were alone
Only to know He is close.