In the Day of Trouble

Towards the end of our time living in Romania, my youngest sons, twins, age four, created a “go bag” for no apparent reason. It had their essentials, such as their boots and stuffed puppy dogs. They kept it beside the door to our apartment. I was back in the States when the twins began doing this. When my wife asked them why, they said, “For when the trouble comes.” She patted them on their heads and said, “Okay.”

The time came when the Holy Spirit impressed upon my wife “impending trouble.” The twins used their go-bags, and she moved our family from Romania to Hungary and then back to the United States. As a king, David fought in life-threatening battles for much of his life. He, too, refers to “the day of trouble” in the following verse.

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock

– Psalms 27:5

The day of trouble refers to a military siege (see verse 3). A siege is a military action that often lasts for weeks, months, or even years. You may have read Homer’s Iliad, a story set during the Trojan War in which the Greeks laid a decades-long siege against the city of Troy. Defending against a siege is a depleting effort.

We know that Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world¹.” There seem to be times when we have “a day of trouble.” The enemy lays siege to our lives and our families, and not just for a day.

Perhaps, right now, you are under siege. Be encouraged; the enemy can’t defeat Jesus. Jesus promised every believer His peace. Ask Him for it. He successfully defeated the world; pray He overcomes your battle. There is no better place to go than the One that overcame the world. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good².”

Can life be difficult? Yes. Can it be heartbreaking? Yes. Do we ever feel like the enemy is about to breach our defenses and overwhelm us? Of course. But do you remember when the Syrian army surrounded the prophet Elisha and his servant ³?

To the servant, it seemed that death was certain. But God opened his eyes and showed him the vast army of angels that greatly outnumbered the Syrians. When God revealed the angelic army, the servant understood that reality was not based on natural eyesight but on what God does in the unseen world. So take heart. God is working for you in the unseen world.

---

Footnotes

1. Bible Gateway passage: John 16:33 – New International Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved November 30, 2024, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2016%3A33&version=NIV
2. Bible Gateway passage: Romans 12:21 – New International Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved November 30, 2024, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012%3A21&version=NIV
3. Bible Gateway passage: 2 Kings 6:17-20 – New International Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved November 30, 2024, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%206%3A17-20&version=NIV