Our Very Present Help

It’s nights like tonight that singleness hits a little differently than simply not having a Valentine on Valentine’s Day. It feels heavier, and more real than not being on a date in a long time, or feeling lonely over the weekend…

It’s in moments like tonight where I feel like my singleness runs smack dead into real life, uncontrolled situations, and my fear of walking through these moments alone for the rest of my life.

Almost two years ago, the Lord allowed a dream of mine to come true. I finally moved into my own apartment. I was independent and I was extremely proud of myself. Beginning to color my walls with decorative artwork, hobby lobby specials, and pictures of my beloved friends and family brought me such joy. My favorite color is yellow, specifically mustard yellow. So, without being too overbearing I took my chance of splashing that color all through my apartment as much as possible. Life was okay and decorating made it move from “okay,” to “this is actually pretty okay.”

My heart felt pretty decent until an unexpected expense popped up…

My heart felt free until my weekends felt lonely…

My heart felt hopeful until I heard the thunder roar…

As I’m writing right now I can hear the thunder literally roar outside my bedroom window as tonight's storms roll through. Thanks to my sweet family, I'm safe and I’m fine. The tornados have passed (thank you Lord) but it’s not the storm that made me feel uneasy tonight… It’s not watching the lightning strike across the sky or hearing the heavy run fall… It’s the thought of facing the storm alone that makes my heart ache in ways I can’t describe.

Every unexpected bill, every lonely weekend, and every storm that passed through when I was living in my apartment not only felt unfortunate, but all of a sudden felt like a situation I had to face and figure out all on my own. I had to come up with the extra cash, I had to get creative on how I spent my time, and I had to prepare to face the storms by watching the weather and making sure I had enough food in the fridge. Not having a husband/ lifelong teammate to rely on just to help me figure out what to do next has caused my soul to weep more tears than you would ever believe.

Ladies, I can’t be the only single woman out there feeling this way tonight….right? Even if you’re not single, we all face moments in our lives that completely petrify us, because we believe we have no one else there to help us endure the storms.

I know how crippling, overwhelming, and disheartening this can feel. I know how easy it can be to truly feel like you're all alone. I know how loudly your feelings may be speaking even right now, but I pray the Word of God would speak even louder over all of our hearts tonight.

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we 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.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

(Palms 46:1-4 ESV)

One of my favorite lines in this passage is the phrase “a very present help in trouble” In the Amplified Bible it says “…a very present and well-proved help in trouble.” In the Christian Standard Bible, it says, “…a helper who is always found in times of trouble.”

So many of us feel like God is so distant from our problems, but He’s not. He’s not just sorta peeking in on our lives every once in a while making sure we’re decent or making sure we have just enough help to get through our hurts, disappointments, fears, or troubles.

No, He is present. He is fully aware. He completely understands where we’re at, and is compassionately willing to be our present help in the exact moments we need Him.

Here. Right here, right where you are, He is present. He sees you, He hears you, he's not forgotten you, and He's ready to give you wisdom, guidance, comfort, healing, encouragement, and help.

He is the first friend to knock on your door when you're in trouble. He is your first love to wrap you up in His arms when you need security and reassurance that everything is going to be okay. He is the best consoler to lovingly sit down with you and help you understand what you need to do next.

Friend, your situation may be similar to mine, and if it is, my heart goes out to you... My hand is extended towards you, and my prayer for you is that this passage would bring your heart and soul relief. According to scripture, you do not face any storm, any problem, any trouble, all on your own.

Amen.

Jesus Christ, our Savior, our God, our prince of Peace, our First Love, and our Best Friend is our very present help in times of trouble. When the bad news comes, when a check bounces, when weekends feel lonely, when disappointment hits, when your job and your work environment are awful, God will be there for you in ways no one else can be. He will also comfort you in ways no one else ever could. (2 Cor. 1:3)

Think back to moments in your life when you know God comforted your heart. You felt that rush of peace, the confidence in your heart, and the joy that filled your soul because you simply knew that you knew God was going to help you. That same God is helping you now. He's not going anywhere because He loves you too much.

Trust Him to be faithful.

Trust Him to love you.

Trust Him and His plans for you.

Trust Him to be your very present help in times of trouble.

Sleep peacefully, my friend. Praying you rest in His loving arms tonight.

Love,

Lo