Daily devotional · October 27
A Present Help
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas, though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge.Selah”
This psalm imagines the earth giving way, mountains sliding into the sea, waters roaring. It is about the loss of everything that felt stable. Yet the opening line is calm: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. The word present matters. He is not far away waiting for us to fix things first. It is easy to say this on a good day, but the psalm was written for the days when the ground moves. Today, think about what feels shaky in your life, finances, health, a relationship. Say the first line of the psalm aloud as a prayer. Then contact one person who can support you practically or emotionally. Refuge often comes through God and through the people He gives us.
Prayer
God, my refuge and strength, be near to me in every trouble today. Amen.