A Very Present Help in Trouble
Monday’s Verse:
From Psalm 46:1 ESV
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.”
Hurricane Melissa, news reports tell us, is expected to continue strengthening over the coming days and could unleash catastrophic rainfall and flooding, landslides, and storm surge threats, especially for Jamaica and the south coast of Hispaniola.
As images of wind, water, and devastation fill our screens, it is easy to feel helpless and scared in the face of nature’s power. The psalmist, however, can teach us this: God is our refuge and strength. It is not necessarily that the hurricane and the suffering it could bring will not occur. But even in the midst of such events, we are not alone — Christ enfolds in his arms those in danger.
For Lutheran theology, this reflection on God’s refuge can speak into the doctrine of suffering and God’s presence: we live in a created world, which groans and is broken, where disasters and storms occur, not as the will of God as direct judgment, but as a reminder of our dependence upon the Creator. But as Christians, we also confess that God in Christ entered into suffering, is with those who will face destruction and suffering, and promises a new day.
“A very present help in trouble” — God does not promise a life without the hurricane or trial, but the promise is one of presence in trial and refuge. As winds blow, as destruction could occur, as waves rise, God remains a refuge. This is not blind optimism, but rather a Christian realism rooted in the cross and resurrection: even when the storm rages, even if destruction comes, the God who redeems is at work. We can pray: “Lord, be our refuge in this storm; comfort those who are in fear and anxiety; bring calm, safety, and peace.”
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Lord God, be with the people of the Caribbean in the coming days as Hurricane Melissa approaches. Keep them safe from the ravages of rain, wind, and flooding. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.