Slideshow image

Who do you turn to when things in life get rough? When we were young it was probably Mom and Dad. Then when it came to school and we ran into a bully, we hopefully had a good friend that would help protect us from the terrors of school bullies. As we grow and mature we learn to be a little more self-sufficient and able to take care of ourselves.

That sounds great, but the sad truth is that bullies come in many different shapes, sizes, and forms. Some of us can take care of ourselves, or at least we think we can, but what do we do when the bully is huge, unseen, or comes in a form that we cannot touch?

In my devotions I was in I Samuel 17, this is the biblical event of David and Goliath. We all know what happened. A young lad named David, a shepherd boy, took rocks to a sword fight and with great courage and faith in God understood that the battle belonged to the Lord. Now, David had to show up for the battle, but at the end of the day, the Lord directed that stone and put it right where it needed to go.

Then I went to Psalm 9. This is where our journey continues with the thought of God being the stronghold for us in the time of danger. Verses 9-10, “The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble; And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” You see there are times that God-given wisdom and intelligence will help us in times of trouble, but then there are times when there is absolutely nothing we can do about a situation. What can we do? The Psalmist tells us that our Lord is a stronghold, a place of refuge in times of trouble. He is the One we hide behind when the bullies of this world come knocking and we are all out of ideas, strength, and answers.

The sad thing is that so many people miss out on this wonderful promise because they do not know this perfect, powerful God. Yet, those who know the Lord and trust Him know He will not forsake us. He will not just throw us out to the wolves of this world. Our God is Who we can run to, the One we can hide behind, and He is the One Who still delivers those He loves. He is the ultimate stronghold, in Him there is never anything to fear.