We Got Trouble

Not sure about you but I loved The Music Man starring Robert Preston. It was our High School play and I know it was for many others. And of course in it was that famous line "We got trouble, right here in River City. yeah we got trouble..."!

I believe that one of the hardest parts of life is to live in the trouble zone. Tough to endure, and often even tougher to make the difficult decisions in the midst of it. We may also feel like we don't understand why or even what caused it because we were doing the right thing. Understanding that it is going to happen somewhere in our lifetime and probably more than once should prompt us to prepare for it.

Jesus said in John 16:33 that In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world. No doubt that comforts us with words but it should also inspire us with action to know we will get through it if we believe in him. He also confirms what is written in Psalm 46, God is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help in trouble. 

That same Psalm also provides a way to prepare for it. Be still and know that I am God. The key being whether we have first come to know him and secondly have we spent the time to be still enough to speak with him and hear his voice? How long has it been since we have taken the time out to have silence to focus on him and not the thousands of distractions this electronic world provides us?  In silence, real silence.

Yeah we got trouble, but when we get to know him and the history of how his people overcame trouble, it becomes a whole lot easier to get through it. Here's a simple prayer request to God to get us in the right frame of mind, Help me God, to make time for silence and solitude to get in touch with my spirit.

Then read the Book of Psalms about how David handled his trouble, it will certainly help us to prepare for our own. And one more thing, Jesus overcame his own fear of the coming trouble by getting on his knees and praying before he faced it - not only did he overcome it, but he changed the world because of it.

Be still, be confident of who your God is and his power to do anything, and lean not on your own understanding, Trust in his wisdom to overcome it as he gives you his instructions how to do so.

Problem solved!