DEVOTION – DAY 229

Psalm 46:1 “God Is My Strength”

 

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

 

The psalmist begins Psalm 46:1-3 with an image of a world going through upheavals as its continental shelves collide causing continents to break up, seas to surge, and mountain ranges to be thrust up violently, it seems that the world would fall into chaos. But the psalmist expressed a deep trust in God to state that even if the world seems to fall all around him, he is able to trust in God’s protection for him.

 

Such trust in God as the source of our refuge and strength, our ever-present help in troubled times still holds true for Christians today. With the rise of Omicron variant of Covid-19 virus and its easy transmission and infection, the number of people getting infected rose sharply in early 2022. Many countries shared a similar experience. A number of friends were infected and they had no idea how they were infected.

 

Some recalled how their throats had never been so sore before in their lives. Some kept coughing so badly that they could not sleep. They lost their sense of taste and smell. A few even said their breathing was affected. But because these Christians had Jesus Christ in their lives, they all shared that the Lord was their refuge and strength. They called out to the Lord in prayer to ask Him to deliver them from this infection. They asked the Lord to lay His healing hands upon them and give them His strength to fight the Covid-19 infection in them. They asked for mercy that they recover naturally without the need to be hospitalized. We thank God that our friends all recovered, as one by one, their subsequent Covid-19 tests became negative. Their high fevers and severe coughing subsided and they recovered. God had been their ever-present help in times of need.

 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, You are our refuge and our source of strength. You are our ever-present help. You are gracious and merciful. Thank you for coming to our assistance when we call out to you for help. Just as you have been faithful, please help us to be always faithful to You. In the precious name of the Lord Jesus we pray. Amen.

 

Questions

  1. How and why do you need God to be your refuge and your strength this week? Share.
  2. How has God been your ever-present help in past crises? Share.
  3. How does this give you confidence to trust in Him in the present?
  4. Why do we sometimes lose our confidence in God to help us? Discuss.