The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. Nahum 1:7

When you’re in deep distress, the worst part can be feeling unsure how to get out. It’s at this point that many people cry out to God as their last hope. The writer of Psalm 46 wrote that even as mountains crumbled into the sea and the oceans roared and foamed, all was not lost:  “We will not fear!” he wrote. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1-3).

It can be hard to believe God is good when your head is barely above water. If we have anything at all to hold on to, we usually refuse to be rescued. Marie’s family unraveled when her nephew was killed. Beside the anguish of loss, the family suffered rifts over who was responsible for the tragedy. Marie was scared by the overwhelming amount of her own anger and pain, like a mountain crumbling into the sea. With the help of a counselor, Marie put into words what was preventing her from accepting rescue: “What if I don’t like the ‘meaning’ of life?” she asked.

The answer didn’t come rushing in, but the admission of that fear helped Marie let go of trying to save herself. Letting go can be the reset we need to trust that God is good. As the Psalmist said, “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5).

 

Resource reading: Nahum 1:7-15