Daily Devotional
God: A Very Present Help In Trouble
Text: Psalms 46:1
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Message
The Bible is replete with examples of what and how to take a stand with God when faced with sudden uncertain and unexpected future?
A few examples here will suffice and should booster your faith in God.
Abraham, though older, chose the path of peace, asking his cousin Lot to choose first when it become intolerable for their servants to co-exist together. Beyond this, he intercepted that Sodom and Gomarrah were not destroyed in order to preserve Lot and his family (Genesis 13:6-12; 18:22-33).
Joseph flew from Portiphars wife immoral invitation. He said in Genesis 39:9-12 (KJV),
“…there is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
David encouraged himself in the Lord, his God. He recovered all without fail as he trusted in God even when he was afraid (I Samuel 30:6; Psalm 56:3).
King Hezekiah , as Joshua earlier, chose the channel of praise. Both were not disappointed (1 Chronicle 20; Joshua 6)
Queen Esther’s case was, “If I die, I die.” “I and my women servants will fast too. After we fast, I will go to the king. I know it is against the law to go to the king if he didn’t call me, but I will do it anyway. If I die, I die.” (Esther 4:14-17).
Ezra entreated the Lord for safe passage, and he had a prosperous journey. “Ezra 8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
Ezra 8:22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.
Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are three Jewish men from the Bible’s Book of Daniel who were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to serve and worship the king’s golden statue god. The flame of the fire killed their executioners but the trio went and returned unscratched
(Daniel 3:14-18).
“Daniel 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?”
“Daniel 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?”
“Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Daniel 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Daniel 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
Daniel 3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Daniel 3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
Daniel 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Daniel 3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
Daniel 3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
Daniel 3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Daniel 3:29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
Daniel 3:30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
Daniel in Lions den waited on God that fails not. God caged the mouths of the lions, and they could do no harm to Daniel (Daniel 6).
Paul pressed forward in the race, believing that nothing could separate him from the love of God.
The Apostles in Acts 4 gave us a blueprint when the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. Apostles were threatened and commanded not to spread, speak, or teach further among the people, henceforth in Jesus’ name.
Acts records, “4.19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
The Acts 4:20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
“Acts 4:23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
The Acts 4:24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
The Acts 4:25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
The Acts 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
The Acts 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
The Acts 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
The Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
The Acts 4:30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
The Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
The Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
The Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”
Stephen was on record to have called upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Thereafter he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Act 7:59-60).
Jesus faced with approached death at the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross submitted to the will of His Father.