“Oh soul, are you weary and troubled, no light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free.” You are tired and discouraged, beat down and low. How many more hits can you take? You’re drowning with no life jacket in sight. The earth is giving way, mountains are trembling and swelling and crumbling into the sea, the waters roar and foam. Now is the time to look to Jesus and cling to the cross, one more day, one more hour, one more minute.
You can claim Psalm 46:1-3 in the hardest of times: “God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah” This psalm is the peace of God that passes all understanding. This psalm is about Jesus – He is our refuge, strength, and present help. Luther said of this psalm, “We sing this psalm to the praise of God because God is with us and powerfully and miraculously preserves and defends his church and his word against all fanatical spirits, against the gates of hell, against the implacable hatred of the devil, and against all the assaults of the world, the flesh, and sin.”
Where else would you turn? Money won’t save you, people will do you wrong, you don’t have enough skills or smarts on your own. The cross of Jesus is your only hope. The cross is your refuge and strength and very present help in times of trouble. He will never leave you nor forsake you if you are His. The best news in your worst time is that Jesus gave Himself for your sins to deliver you from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen (Galatians 1:4-5). At the end of the day, that’s all you have to stand on, all you have to rely on, all you have to hope in.
May the cross grow more precious and lovely to you in hard times. “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. In every rough and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the vale. When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.” Pray for spiritual strength in your hardest times like Paul, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20).”