I’m In Trouble: What Does the Bible Say?
“When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him” Psalm 91: 15.
This verse tells us God will be with us in trouble.
Since God is love, this means love will be with us. And since the characteristics of love are are joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, these attributes will be with us in trouble.
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In other words, trouble provides an opportunity for us to be filled with the Spirit. Or to partake of the divine nature (2 Peter 1: 3, 4). Or to become “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1: 4).
Trouble Should Cause Us to Have More Character
So if God is indeed with us in our suffering, it will be revealed by the fact that we have MORE character, not less. Now God isn’t automatically with us in trouble any more than He’s with an unbeliever.
He will draw near to us IF we draw near to Him in faith and obedience. If we choose to be angry and rebellious and full of self-pity in our trouble, God will not be with us in it.
But the truth is, the above is often our first reaction. This is only human. But it’s what we do with those initial thoughts and feelings that makes all the difference.
The Bible Says God Left the Israelite’s When They Were In Trouble
God left the Israelite’s when they refused to trust and obey God in the wilderness. They were still His people, but He refused to go with them (Exodus 33: 1-3)
We can quench the Spirit of God too if we’re not careful. We can know if God is with us by our attitude and behavior. God is love. So if God is indeed with us, we will be increasing in love in it. And becoming increasing filled with the characteristics of love.
As Christians who walk in faith and obedience, we know that God is always with us. But this promise of His presence when we’re in trouble is a promise of an increasing measure of His presence.
Death Produces Life
The reason we experience more of His presence in trouble is because it’s harder. It’s actually death that produces life, that fills us with the Spirit of God.
So as we die to sin, to needs, to self in our trouble, we get an increasing measure of the Spirit of God. And the reason is it’s harder to do in times of trouble.
This promise of deliverance and honor and long life isn’t for just anyone who has troubles. It is for those who allow God to be with them in their troubles. And the prerequisite for the presence of God is always faith and obedience.
What Does the Bible Say About Trouble?
If we want to experience the glorious deliverance and honor and long life here promised, we must first partake of the divine nature in our trouble. This is what it means to have God be with us.
We have an awesome opportunity to gain a greater measure of the divine nature when we’re in trouble. This is the promise of this verse.
To read another post related to I’m In Trouble: What Does the Bible Say?, see How the Wilderness Experience Exorcises Our Demons.