Volume No. 2010 Issue No. 22 Date: June 20, 2010
Publication of the BIBLE BAPTIST MINISTRY, 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706
Phone: 570.829.5216 pdmikBBM@aol.com pastormiklas@aol.com
In Psalm 46:1-3 we read, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (2) Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; (3) Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” Verse 1 doesn't say that God has been a refuge and strength or that He will be. The verse is present tense: "God is our refuge and strength, a Very Present Help in trouble." Does this verse have an expiration date or a limited number of refills? Will it ever lose its potency? No, no, and never!
When Joseph was caught in the prolonged misery of Egypt's penal system; God was his Very Present Help.
When Joshua's way was blocked by the impenetrable city of Jericho, God was his Very Present Help in trouble.
When Ruth was reduced to poverty-stricken widowhood in Moab; God was her Very Present Help.
When a repentant Samson was led into the Philistine temple to entertain the pagans, God was his Helper.
When foreign armies attacked Judah, King Jehoshaphat prayed, "We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You" (2 Chronicles 20: 12).
When Jeremiah was imprisoned in the cistern, when Elijah was running from Jezebel, when Jonah was swallowed by a giant fish, when Jesus was tempted by the devil, when Peter was locked in prison, when John was exiled on Patmos – over and over again, God was their Very Present Help in trouble.
Let me suggest some practical ways to experience God's help in the present tense.
First, we must humble ourselves before Him, recognizing that He is everything and we are simply His servants. He is in control of it all. Our tensions often come from assuming responsibilities that really belong to God. When I face a difficult situation in the church I pastor, I sometimes have to look out over my congregation and remind myself: "It's not my church; it's theirs. And it's not really theirs, but Christ's." Otherwise no pastor could manage the responsibility. The Bible says in I Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: (7) Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”
Second, rely on the privileges of Bible study and prayer. Two-way communication with the Lord overrides the electrical surges of worry that short-circuit our systems and blowout our fuses.
Third, put on some cheerful music. When Martin Luther was battling deep depression, he opened his Bible to Psalm 46 and read, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Luther converted the psalm into a hymn titled, ''A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." Luther found strength in singing about his Mighty Fortress. King David did the same in the Psalms. Jesus sang a hymn as He left the Upper Room for the cross, and Paul and Silas were heard singing at midnight, even as their backs were bleeding and their wrists were shackled.
Fourth, get involved in church and find ways of serving the Lord. It's impossible to truly be a servant when we're all wrapped up in ourselves. One of the quickest ways of escaping our worries, fears, dreads, anxieties, and tensions is to focus our attention on the needs of others. An old poem by Charles Meigs says:
Lord, help me live from day to day – In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray – My prayer shall be for-Others.
Help me in all the work I do – To ever be sincere and true
And know that all I'd do for You – Must needs be done for-Others.
And when my work on earth is done, – And my new work in Heav'n's begun,
May I forget the crown I've won, – While thinking still of-Others.
May I forget the crown I've won, – While thinking still of-Others.
Others, Lord, yes others, – Let this my motto be,
Help me to Live for others – That I may Live Like Thee.
In the present tensions of our world, we have a Very Present Help in trouble. Let's humble ourselves and cast our cares upon Him. Let's commune with Him in Bible study and prayer.
Let's sing and let's serve Him who is our “…refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
In His Amazing Grace,
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