Psalms 138:7 “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.”
In my youthful dreams, I’ve imagined living in a place and time in which I had positive and complete control of every situation, there was nothing or no one to disturb me, I had no reason to be anxious or to fear, and I was well supplied with all my wants and needs. At age seventy-one, I’ve still not found that place and time in this world. However, I get pretty close sitting high up in a deer stand with my Bible on my lap as the sun is coming up; but, then an old bear threatens to take my seat or a snake appears on a limb by me and shatters my moments of peace. But, this I have also found and greatly rejoice in, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble” my gracious and merciful Lord “wilt” always “revive me”! Troubles are those things that hinder us, discourage us, confuse us, hurt us, break our hearts, make us angry, and can cast us down into dark despair. While we live, we are going to have these troubles (John 16:33); but, our Lord is always there to “revive” us, pick us up, carry us when we cannot carry ourselves and give us a smile when we have no smile. When it is our “enemies” that are troubling us, there will come a moment in which the Lord “shalt stretch forth” His Almighty “hand against” them and He will lovingly “save” us from the “wrath” of those who are harming us. We have a grand opportunity to live by our faith while we are “in the midst of” our “trouble”, while we are cast down, discouraged, frightened, broken hearted, etc. While “in the midst of” our “trouble” we are charged to “stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD” (Exodus 14:13), “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10), “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden” (Matthew 11:28), and to “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)! Even while we “walk in the midst of trouble”, we have a wonderful reason to rejoice, for the Church “kingdom of God is come unto you” (Matthew 12:28). And this blessed Church-Kingdom is far better than anything or any other place in this present world; for, in His House Our Lord vividly shows Himself to be “a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall” (Isaiah 25:4)! It is no wonder that David declared, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” (Psalms 122:1)! So, now we say, “Let us go into the house of the LORD”!