What is your response?

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord. When trouble comes, what is your response? We thank God for His great and amazing love for us and how nothing catches Him unawares. Psalm 46v1 (AMP) is quick to reassure us that “God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.” Synonyms for trouble include problem, dilemma, difficulties, mess, nuisance, snag, danger, hitch, fault and hassle. Whatever the situation is, God is a very present help that is able to see us through this.

I was reminded of the fact that God wants to be our help and our only help. Psalm 147v10-11 (NIV) says “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.” God takes delight in those who fear Him, expect Him to be kind and loving and hope in His mercy.

1 Chronicles 16 relates the story of King Asa, who put his trust in the Lord for a while, and then looked elsewhere for help; thus displeasing the Lord. Verses 1 to 9 (TLB) say “In the thirty-sixth year of King Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel declared war on him and built the fortress of Ramah in order to control the road to Judah. Asa’s response was to take the silver and gold from the Temple and from the palace, and to send it to King Ben-hadad of Syria at Damascus with this message: “Let us renew the mutual security pact that there was between your father and my father. See, here is silver and gold to induce you to break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel, so that he will leave me alone.” Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa’s request and mobilized his armies to attack Israel. They destroyed the cities of Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and all of the supply centers in Naphtali. As soon as King Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he discontinued building Ramah and gave up his plan to attack Judah.  Then King Asa and the people of Judah went out to Ramah and carried away the building stones and timbers and used them to build Geba and Mizpah instead. About that time the prophet Hanani came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Syria instead of in the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from you. Don’t you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and cavalrymen? But you relied then on the Lord, and He delivered them all into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward Him, so that He can show His great power in helping them. What a fool you have been! From now on you shall have wars.” Child of God, what is your response when trouble comes? Let it always and forever be to look to the Lord, that He may show Himself strong on your behalf.

Prayer

Father, we thank You for Your Word. Thank You for You are our help. Father, forgive us for anytime we have looked elsewhere but You for help. Father, we look to You again – continue to show Your great power towards us. We hope in Your mercy. All this we ask in Jesus name, amen.