Faith—Finding Help In Trouble
Scripture Reading —
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
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For more than 3,000 years the hearts of God’s people have been encouraged and bolstered by the words of . In our troubled times we still turn to this psalm. May I share with you about three experiences when this psalm strengthened our troubled hearts?
First, the awful news on November 22, 1963: “President Kennedy has been shot.” We were stunned, numbed into silence. At the seminary I was attending we had a special chapel service, and our professor read : “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Those words made our weak and wounded hearts sturdier.
Second, during the past year with the COVID-19 pandemic, spoke to many of our troubled and lonely hearts. In times of anxious uncertainty and isolation, we needed to hear God say, “Be still, and know that I am God,” anchoring and calming our souls.
Third, I visited a dear mother whose son had just been killed in a car accident. A tearful smile lined her sad face as she welcomed me into her neatly kept home. She talked. I listened. Then we turned to —“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” In later visits she often reminded me how powerful and precious was to her.
“Therefore we will not fear. . . . The Lord almighty is with us. . . .”
Thank you, O God, for being our ever-present help in trouble. Amen.
About the author — Harvey Kiekover
Harvey Kiekover grew up on a Michigan farm and studied to go into pastoral ministry. He served as a teacher in Nigeria and as a pastor and chaplain in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He and his wife became the parents of three sons, and he enjoys spending time with his six grandchildren.
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