December 22

Immediately Present

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. — Ps 46:1 BSB

Help that’s not available when we need it isn’t much help at all. An anchor left at home does no good for a sailor caught in a storm; money that once existed but is now gone can’t help the debtor when he’s in need. Most human help is like that—difficult to find when we need it, slow to arrive, and often unavailable when we reach for it again. But the Lord our God is different: He is present when we seek Him, present when we need Him, and present even after we’ve experienced His help.

He is not just present—He is very present. He is closer than the nearest friend because He is within us in our trouble. He is more present than we are to ourselves because we sometimes lose our presence of mind. He is always there, effectively, compassionately, and completely. If this is a difficult season for us right now, let’s rest in Him. He is our refuge, so let’s hide in Him. He is our strength, so let’s lean on Him. He is our help, so let’s trust in Him. He is our “very present help in trouble,” so let’s rely on Him now. We don’t need to worry or fear for even a moment, for “the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”