THE DAY OF TROUBLE

 

Psalm 20:1–3

“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifices.”

There is what Scripture calls “the day of trouble”—a season of difficulty, pressure, testing, and moments when it seems as though all hope is lost.

I have had my own share of such seasons recently. In the midst of it, I asked God, “Why has this trouble come upon me?” And the answer I sensed from the Lord was simple: “Son, it is common to all men.”

The rich experience it. The poor experience it. The strong experience it. The weak experience it. No one is completely exempt from difficult seasons.

The day of trouble is often a season in which our faith in God is thoroughly tested. Sometimes it comes without warning. It does not always announce itself before arriving. One moment everything seems fine, and the next moment life takes an unexpected turn.

Job, one of the wealthiest men in Scripture, experienced such a day. In a very short space of time, he lost his possessions, his children, and his health. Joseph also went through his own day of trouble. He was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned. Even our Lord Jesus Christ experienced a moment of deep anguish as He approached the cross.

Therefore, we must understand that trouble is common to all men.

During difficult seasons, many people panic. They run from one person to another, searching for help everywhere except in God. But the Word of God says:

“He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”
Psalm 91:15

What a powerful promise! God does not promise that we will never experience trouble, but He promises that He will be with us in trouble.

The Psalmist said:

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
Psalm 23:4

Notice that he said, “I walk through.” He did not say, “I live there.” Trouble may be a season, but it is not your permanent destination.

So, when your day of trouble comes, do not allow fear to take control of your heart. Do not spend the entire season complaining, worrying, or fighting everyone around you. Learn to trust God even when you do not understand what He is doing.

Job said:

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”
Job 13:15

That is the kind of faith God desires—a faith that remains standing even when circumstances are speaking the opposite.

The days of trouble come in different forms, shades, and colors. For one person, it may be financial difficulty. For another, it may be delayed marriage, barrenness, stagnation, ill health, homelessness, rejection, failure, or an unexpected crisis.

Whatever form your trouble takes, remember that God is still God in the middle of it.

The prophet Jeremiah records the Lord saying:

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Jeremiah 33:3

Your trouble may have taken you by surprise, but it did not take God by surprise.

Consider Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. As He faced the pain of the cross, He prayed that the cup might pass from Him, yet He ultimately surrendered to the will of the Father:

“Not my will, but yours be done.”
Luke 22:42

Sometimes, the most important question to ask in a difficult season is not, “Lord, why am I going through this?” but rather, “Lord, what are You teaching me through this?”

There can be a purpose hidden in a season of pain.

Joseph understood this after everything he had suffered. When he finally stood in a position of authority and confronted his brothers, he said:

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.”
Genesis 50:20

What people meant for evil, God was able to turn into something good.

I remember a season in my own life when the Lord impressed something strongly upon my heart: “Do not make business your focus. Focus on what I have called you to do; I will take care of you.”

I struggled with it. I insisted on doing things my own way, and I eventually found myself in a very difficult situation—a season of great trouble indeed.

But God was with me.

He brought me through that difficult season, and I came out of it with a deeper conviction that there are times when God allows us to enter a place where we must learn to trust Him completely.

Perhaps that is the purpose of the trouble you are facing today.

Perhaps God is teaching you patience.

Perhaps He is teaching you to trust Him.

Perhaps He is teaching you to depend on Him instead of on people, money, connections, or your own strength.

Perhaps He is preparing you for something greater than where you are today.

One thing I have learned is this: every trouble we face has something to teach us.

Do not waste your season of trouble.

Pray through it.

Trust God through it.

Learn through it.

Grow through it.

And keep your eyes on God.

Your present trouble is not your permanent story. The same God who was with Job, Joseph, David, and Jesus is still with His people today.

There is a day of trouble, but there is also a God who delivers in the day of trouble.

So, when your difficult season comes, remember the words of Psalm 20:1:

“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble.”

And when the trouble is over, you will look back and testify:

“I went through the valley, but God was with me. I faced the trouble, but God brought me out. I was tested, but my faith became stronger.”

Your day of trouble will not have the final word. God will.