“For in the day of trouble he will keep me safeĀ in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” – Psalm 27:5
Why do we doubt that God will bless and preserve us?
Generally, the answer to that is that we have seen so many bad things happen to good people. We acknowledge with our mouths that we know that He is good and we believe He’s working everything out for the best, but then we yank those words right back when it comes to actually trusting Him.
David says God will “set me high upon a rock.” We tend to think of that as a mountain, overlooking those who are seeking him to kill him, just like in the old western movies. But sometimes David was exiled to the mountain caves.
The deal is that God’s protection in the day of trouble may not look like what we want it to be. Job’s friends certainly didn’t seem to think he was protected. David probably didn’t feel set upon a rock when he heard the news that Absalom had been killed. Every day, believers go through something catastrophic and we question God about it.
It’s about perspective. The idea that “what is essential is invisible to the eye” didn’t start with “The Little Prince.” While we are very much actors on the stage of this earthly life, it’s as real as the play you’ve already invisioned in this comparison. Life is simply the precursor to eternity with God.
Job and David knew this. Both were men after God’s own heart. That’s what we should strive to be in the tumult of the earthly nonsense we live with every day.
Live each day with your eyes set on Heaven. When God says He’ll protect us, He doesn’t mean it will be easy. He doesn’t say that the terrible days won’t come. But you can count on it that He’s got His hand on you through the whole thing. Even when it feels like you’re in the battle, trust: You’re set high upon a rock.
Lately I’ve thought a lot about the disciples and what happened to them when Jesus sent them out to make disciples of all nations. John was the only one who wasn’t martyred, but history shows us that most of them died praising God.
Let that be your cry for help in the day of trouble: to praise Him. Then He will shelter you in His tents and set you on that rock. ā¤ļø
