David Berg

By David Berg

God's Word tells us, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof" (Psalm 46:1-3).

That's His promise, amen? He is our refuge and strength, and through the trying days that now are and shall yet come, He is "a very present help in trouble." If we love Him and if we're obeying Him and keeping His commandments, the Lord is very concerned about helping and preserving and protecting us.

Just read the Bible and you'll see story after story of how marvelously the Lord protects and keeps His children. Once in a while they got in trouble and they suffered some, but He always delivered them! He doesn't say that you're never going to have any trials or afflictions, but He promises He'll deliver you out of them all (Psalm 34:19).

God may allow a test now and then just to see how much faith we've got, how determined we are, how much patience we have. He sometimes allows troubles as a testing and trial to see how much knowledge of the Word we have, and how much we'll stand on the Word.

Once, when I was concerned and worrying about the future, He answered me with a question: "Will I not care for My own?" What an encouragement from the Lord! "Will I not care for My own?" The Lord is able to keep us through anything and everything. He will care for us. In fact, He won't let a hair of your head be touched without His permission. "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of Mine eye" (Matthew 10:30; Zechariah 2:8).

Lord, You are our deliverer, our strong fortress in whom we hide, our strong tower in which the righteous hide. You are our strength. You promised, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 91:1), and we know that's the best protection there could possibly be. So we put our faith and trust in You, in Jesus' name, amen.

"Hedged about"

Don't ever forget, we are surrounded by the angels of God. We are hedged in, as the Devil himself said about Job. The Devil complained to God about Job, "How can I touch him? You've got him fenced in! You've got him so hedged in, I can't even reach him, I can't even touch him" (Job 1:10). God has placed a hedge of angels around us too.

"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them" (Psalm 34:7). So thank God for the great company of angels!

When it looked like the prophet Elisha was cornered and surrounded by an entire army of his enemies, his servant became very worried and upset, as it looked like a truly impossible situation. "And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, 'Alas, my master! How shall we do?'" (2 Kings 6:15).

But the prophet answered, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them! And Elisha prayed, and said, 'Lord, I pray Thee, open his eyes, that he may see.' And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings 6:16-17).

So that's something that we need to remember and constantly thank the Lord for--His marvelous, miraculous, supernatural protection! Thank God for His angels that encamp round about us.

Precious hiding place,
Blessed hiding place,
In the shelter of His love.
Not a doubt nor fear,
When my Lord is near,
For I'm sheltered in His love.--Avis M. Christiansen, 1918

Pray without ceasing

Keep close to the Lord and constantly claim His protection, always asking the Lord to keep you, and bless and protect you, because lots of things can happen that are totally beyond your control, but not the Lord's!

"Men ought always to pray and not to faint" (Luke 18:1), God's Word says. And He says, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus said, "Watch and pray" (Matthew 26:41). He didn't say that for no reason. He not only knew you would need it, but it's one way the Lord has of trying to keep you close to Him, in His presence continually, and constantly dependent upon Him and His protection and provision.

Your best protection is to stay strong in the Lord and the Word and in prayer and the Spirit. Jesus Himself said, "A strong man armed keepeth his goods in peace" (Luke 11:21). What did Jesus mean by that? To be strong is to be watchful and to be wise. Not just physically, but to be strong in spirit, strong in prayer.

"Fear not"

When people get upset and worried about things, we often say, "Don't worry about it!" If anybody could say that to us, it's the Lord. "Don't worry about it! You're My child, and I'm going to take care of you no matter what happens."

Just trust the Lord, and He'll take care of you. He never fails, no matter what the conditions. He says, "Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust" (Psalm 40:4).

Once, when I was very burdened about something I cried out, "Lord, what should we do?" Instead of telling me what to do, He told me what not to do. I wasn't asking the Lord for a scripture; I wanted to know what to do. But He simply told me, "Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10).

That's a verse I've gotten before, but it was certainly an encouragement from the Lord at that time. So whatever you do, don't be afraid. Be like King David, who exclaimed, "In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid" (Psalm 56:11). Keep your faith in the Lord and trust the Lord and know that the Lord is in control, and nothing's going to happen but what the Lord allows.

The Lord's going to take care of us, whatever happens, and He's going to do what He wants to do. God is in control, and nothing happens to His children without His permission, and all things that He allows will eventually work together for our good. Praise the Lord!

Lord, help us not to worry or fear, but only to fear You and love You and follow and obey You. You said, "In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge" (Proverbs 14:26). Help us to remain at peace in You, Lord. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee" (Isaiah 26:3). Help us not to worry about any of the waves and winds and billows that we face. Help us just to look to You, and keep our eyes on You and trust You. We know You work everything out for the best somehow. All things, Lord, shall work together for good to us who love You. In some way it's all going to work together for our good, in Jesus' name. Amen.

The Lord is our refuge!
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast,
There by His Love o'er shaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe from all worry and care,
Safe from the world's tribulations,
Nothing can harm me there.
Jesus, my heart's dear Refuge,
Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages,
Ever my trust shall be!--Franny Crosby, 1868