“I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.” Job 3:26

The ring of the phone in the middle of the night, the unexpected knock on the door, the gut wrenching notice in the mail, the unexpected doctors report, the goodbyes that came way too soon; we have all experienced moments when trouble came.

Job was faced with trouble beyond anything that most of us will ever face in our lifetime. He lost everything that belonged to him, his possessions and all of his children; everything gone, all at the same time. Yet, that wasn’t all; then he lost his health, trouble came. Throughout his life he had done for others, giving unselfishly of his time and resources. He was righteous in all of his ways, yet he found himself facing trouble.

“Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.” Job 4:3-5

We all have faced a troubling situation that took us by surprise and caused our world to stop and stand still. The hurt was deep, unbearable it seemed.

“We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!” Jeremiah 8:15

We know that this world is filled with trouble, there is trouble all around us. Day by day, trouble increases all around us, encroaching upon the life we once knew. Things we once knew as common place are no longer a reality and that we thought of as something far off have become the new norm. “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:” Job 5:7-9

In our trouble we lift our hearts upward seeking God, the one source of strength that can be found. He is the one that remains constant, accomplishing the marvelous works only achievable by the power of His hands. So it is that when we can not understand the “why” within the trouble, not possessing the ability within ourselves to move forward, we must look upward knowing that sometimes there are not immediate answers.

“Why standest thou afar off, O Lord ? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?“ Psalm 10:1

“Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.” Psalm 31:9

The hardness of the moment brings us to our knees, the utter despair in the moment causes our heart to break within us. We seek to be rid of the trouble we face, asking God to take it from us. Jesus found Himself in just this same state of trouble in the hours before His crucifixion. The trouble He faced in His human form overtook Him, He felt the weight of the burden that was being placed upon Him. Yet, He knew the plan of God and He surrendered to the trouble that He must face.

“Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.” John 12:27

As believers, there are times of trouble that come into our lives that we do not understand. Times when God doesn’t take the trouble away, but allows it to continue for a time. Just like Job, we can not understand the hand of God or the plan that He is working within us, but in our uncertainty we must trust the heart of God. We may not understand the way, but we have confidence in the final destination.

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Psalms 56:3-4

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Job 13:15

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 55:8

“Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:14-18

“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9

“But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord : he is their strength in the time of trouble.” Psalm 37:39

In our moments of trouble, we have a Saviour to whom we can go for safety. When we do not have the fortitude to press on, He is our strength, He will see us through.

“Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:4

And there we find a reason for trouble coming into our lives. How would we expect to be a comfort unto others unless we had been where they find themselves? How can we expect for God to use us to be a testimony to those who are hurting, unless we have known hurt? How can we learn to trust Him until, trusting Him is all we have as an option? So many reasons for trouble to come, so many things beyond our human vision. The works of God are beyond our human vision or capacity of thought.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

No matter what trouble we face, regardless of whether God takes it away or not, we know He will never forsake us and He will never allow us to be destroyed. We need not be afraid in the midst of our trouble, in Him we can find peace.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

Yet trouble came, and we know it will, but let us not be afraid.