Trouble Outside Your Door

The powerful image of God as a rock of refuge and strength is reinforced in Psalm 62:
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. 8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. When trouble is just outside our door - in a physical sense, or spiritually speaking, it is so important that we are properly positioned to withstand it.   Just as we protect our homes from potential dangers or put on a seat belt in a car equipped with air bags, we have to take the steps of proactive protection to be able to repel the trouble that comes into our lives and trust in the Lord as our rock, our refuge, our ever-present help in time of trouble.   We live in a fallen world, and trouble will come - we have to make sure that we are prepared, abiding in Christ, clothed in the full armor of God.

In Psalm 32, we see a passage that can remind us of the peace and comfort that is available through the Lord as we think about His care for us:
7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
I was drawn recently to a story from the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, which I found on The Gospel Coalition website.   The suspects had hijacked a Mercedes SUV and were barreling through Watertown, Massachusetts, being chased by police, who were dodging homemade bombs being hurled from the vehicle.   

At roughly 12:50 a.m., the SUV screeched to a halt in front of the home of Stephen and Emily McAlpin's house. The brothers opened fire, igniting a gun battle with police that involved more than 200 rounds of ammunition, additional makeshift bombs, and the death of "Suspect #!" - the older of the Tsarnaev brothers.

The McAlpins were quoted as saying:

It was like nothing we'd ever experienced. We first heard the gunshots and an explosion from our bedroom and, after calling 911, crawled with our dog to safety under the kitchen table where we cried out to Jesus for help, and then later into the bathtub for better cover, where we continued praying. We spent a lot of time in fear of death, even after the gunfire ceased and the police checked on us.

They were interviewed by CNN, and the Gospel Coalition writer, Matt Smethurst, referred to the peace that was apparent in that conversation.   The McAlpins said:

I believe the peace we experienced came from the Holy Spirit, who was a guiding light to us in a terrifyingly dark time. We experienced the Spirit's peace most fully while praying. It was a kind of peace that felt like someone else was sharing it with us. As I led my wife in prayer there was like a bright light that calmed my thoughts and helped me to feel that life is a gift and that it's all about Jesus. In our hearts we felt calmness and even joy at the idea of us finally being with God together. And physically, it was like God's arms were being wrapped around us to cover us.

When trouble comes, where is our source of serenity and stability?   Stephen and Emily truly looked to the Lord as their rock, their strong tower, their refuge, and their strength.   When trouble showed up just outside the door, with 7 bullets penetrating their house, they saw God as their mighty fortress. 


There may be trouble that is very apparent that is threatening our lives - it could be something very apparent in a physical sense, or the warning signs of spiritual danger may be there.   The Bible refers to the Lord as the "rock that is higher than I" - we can run to Him, dependent on His peace and strength, the One who can sustain us through difficulty.

Or, trouble may be hiding or lurking in the shadows.   Just ask Dave Henneberry - he's another resident of Watertown.   He found the younger suspect hiding in a boat in his yard.   Sometimes trouble is there, but you can't see it - we're told that the devil roams about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.   When he comes, perhaps to perform a spiritual ambush, when we can't even see him, we must be found abiding in Christ, constantly placing ourselves in His care as our hiding place.