A Very Present Help in Trouble

Late Friday night we were awakened with the shocking news that some dear friends of ours, a mother and father and their two college age daughters, were killed in a car accident. My son and husband were able to talk on the phone to their son, who they had been driving to visit. So many thoughts race through your mind at a time like this, but you have to focus on what you know to be true. My family prayed for the son and his wife at that time, but it was later as I was praying alone, that I kept thinking about Psalm 46:1--God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. I began praying this verse for this young man and his wife.

Yesterday my family drove to Houston to minister to this couple and we quickly began to see God at work, indeed being a very present help in trouble. That very day was scheduled to be moving day for them, and an army of helpers showed up from their church, some of whom they had never met before. When we arrived in town we were already directed to their new apartment, and it wasn't long before boxes in the new place were unpacked and put away, and others went back and cleaned up the old place. God was using His people to be a very present help in trouble.

One thing I had been concerned about was all the decisions that would face this young man in the near future, and all of the legal questions that would arise, which I didn't know the answers to. My husband and I have experienced the death of three parents within the last two years, so we knew some things, but others we didn't. The first person I met at the apartment was a lawyer, an elder from their church. What an answer to prayer! What a blessing! What a demonstration of God being a very present help in trouble.

We spent the afternoon with this grieving couple and there were tears, but there was also rejoicing as we had confidence that the four family members were now in the presence of the Lord. There was even laughter amidst the tears as we reflected on precious memories that we had shared together. It was a blessing to see how this young man and his wife were responding to this devastating experience, to see how God was being a very present help in trouble in their own hearts.

While we were in Houston, the word was being spread in our own church, and an impromptu prayer meeting developed. Over 100 people showed up at the church to pray. They knew that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

I could share other ways we've seen God as a very present help in this trouble, and I am confident there will be many more in the days and weeks to come. While many of the troubles we face are small, some are huge, and God is present in each and every one. He indeed is our refuge and strength, we must continually abide in Him, find our refuge and strength in Him, and we will experience this reality in our own lives.