Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will Glorify Me – Psalm 50:15
What do you do in “THE DAY OF TROUBLE?” Scream, panic, withdraw, eat more, eat less, choose to be angry, experience loss of sleep, nauseated stomach, anxiety … all different types of responses and emotions we can experience and express, can’t we. I recently have found myself in a “Day of Trouble,” overwhelmed and shocked by what I had discovered, but God in His mercy reminds and encourages me through His Word…Psalm 50:15 says, ” Call upon Me in THE DAY OF TROUBLE; I will Deliver you, and you will Glorify Me.”
This is a passage that He has used in years past for me to cling to and cry out to Him in such days, I have used it for others and again as I find myself presently in, what the Psalmist calls… “THE DAY OF TROUBLE.”
For hope in such times we must turn to Him who can give Hope and it is in God’s Word we find God’s recipe, what to do “in The Day of Trouble.” Psalm 50:15 gives us three truths to hold onto and hope in, in such a time, let’s have a look…
WHAT WE ARE to do in “The Day of Trouble?”
Note Three truths to remind ourselves of from Psalm 50:15…
1. We have A COMMAND
“CALL ON ME in the Day of Trouble.”
God commands us to “Call on” Him. We are to turn to Him and call out to Him. In times of stress and distress it is easy to lose our spiritual equilibrium isn’t it. We call out to friends by phone … and at times find no one is there to answer! We go shopping and to the refrigerator looking for some “comfort” and end up only more alone and stressful as the situation has not changed and the heart is full of anxiety rather than rest. What are we to do in “the Day of Trouble?” Obey God and “CALL ON ME…” He Commands us to call on Him, it is not an option but an Opportunity to speak to the Omnipotent One, who alone can understand and meet us frail creatures!
2. We have A PROMISE
“And I will Deliver you.“
Here we have a Promise-God will Deliver us in “The day of trouble.” He may not always Deliver us FROM the trouble but He will Deliver us IN the Trouble. Presently I find myself in a trial- a great trial in one sense … and while the trial swirls around me yet I have peace in the storm. Yes, I am “calling ” out to Him to Deliver me from the Storm but in the midst of it I am experiencing His “peace which surpasses all understanding guarding my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.” {Phil 4:6-8}. Sometimes God delivers us form the “day of trouble” as He did Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego… sometimes He uses the “Day of trouble ” to Deliver us into His Presence {Heb 11:35-37} But He Does Deliver.
The Disciples in the boat at the fourth watch of the night when it was darkest, and when their stress was great, it was then in the “eleventh hour” that the Lord came walking on the waters and into their circumstances and calmed their hearts having conquered the storm and the waves and wind bowed before Him. Is there a “Storm ” beloved you are presently in?
Are the winds and waves of circumstances howling about you? Does all around seem lost and without hope?
Oh, friend, He has not forgotten nor forsaken nor abandoned you {1 Peter 3:12} His eye is upon you and He is working even while it seems He is not. He is working “all things” including this “thing” you are presently going through for your “good” {Romans 8:28} and His Glory. Cling to His Promises, that His Grace “is sufficient” for you- even in this present “furnace” this “Day of trouble.” Cling to Him, His Promise that He has imparted to you “everything pertaining to life and Godliness” which you need presently to honor Him. Cling to His Promises because He has never failed to keep one yet and He will not begin with you. In the Day of trouble “Call on Me” is His Command to you. In “the Day of trouble” remember His promise “I will deliver you.” How He will do so I do not know, I only Know that His reputation is at stake. No, it may not work out the way you want, the circumstances may not change, the consequences may like a harvest produce unwanted fruit but dear friend He can impart peace {Rom 5:1; Phil 4:7}, He can impart strength, As the Old Testament passage records “As your day so will your strength be.” Hold that God is Faithful! He will deliver, His way.
3. We have A PRIVILEGE
“And you shall Glorify Me.”
– What ultimately is “The day of trouble” in a believers Life? But an opportunity, A Privilege bestowed on you from the Lord’s perspective to – “Glorify Me,” He says. When you look at this verse we see that “The Day of Trouble” is but an opportunity to Glorify God! God created us to Glorify Him {Ish 43:7} God redeemed us so we may Glorify Him {1 Cor 6:19-20} and God tells us from the most mundane thing like eating and drinking that whatever we do “do all to the Glory of God” {1 Cor 10:31} and this “Day,” this “Day of trouble” is but one gigantic opportunity for you and me to do so. Isn’t God good! That even in these unwanted sorts of days- we can have hope, we can have Divine Perspective through his Word and we can have Divine Help and Promises to encourage us in them and through them, and know God knows, and God is at work!
No, I don’t like “Days of Trouble” I would prefer soothing plain sailing days, with skies of blue and everything going my way, “But God…” who is the Lord of my Circumstances and the Lord of my Life has called me in these days, like you beloved, to “Call on Me in the Day of trouble and I will Deliver you and you shall Glorify Me.”
Friend, Rejoice in the Lord, the circumstances are not your master but the Lord who bids you to “CALL ON ME”- He is Master of all-even the “DAYS OF TROUBLE” you and I may be experiencing. If we never were in a place of “Trouble” we would never need to “Call.” If we never needed deliverance-we would never have opportunity to experiencing His Saving and Delivering Power would we. If no one had obeyed and put their foot into the water-they never would have known God could part the Red Sea. In their “Day of trouble” with the Red Sea on front of them and Pharaoh’s army behind them-they too were in a “Day of trouble”- “BUT GOD…” made a way when there was no human way possible. “BUT GOD…” came into the situation of the disciples on the rough seas and conquered the unconquerable winds and waves … as long as God is, there is Hope for us in the day of Trouble. Look at the “Day of trouble” you are presently in … overwhelming circumstances, difficulties, obstacles, “BUT GOD” knows about them and is not indifferent nor impotent to help. His Grace is still “sufficient.” His “mercies” are still new every morning. His Promises are still true. His eye is still upon you. He ever lives to intercede for you and He is able to save to the uttermost. No, dearly beloved this “DAY OF TROUBLE” is but an opportunity to draw closer to God and be intimate as you obey the Command “CALL on Me.” His promises are still the same “I will deliver you”- He will deliver you and me … and also with INTERNAL PEACE for the external pressures … and our Privilege is to Glorify him and this we do when we “CALL” on Him. God is glorified when you all upon Him. For it is the call of faith. It is the look away from all and rest your all upon Him.
How often we have longed to express Love and Loyalty and some token of appreciation to Him. And yet we often fail to recognize that “The Day Of Trouble” is but a Gigantic opportunity to TRUST Him and express Love to Him
By CHOOSING TO Obeying His Command- “Call on Me” and
Cling to His Promise “I will Deliver you” and realize the Privilege that is presently afforded to you and me, in what naturally we would say are unwanted and unwelcome days- “The Day of Trouble-” These are days of Privilege afforded us to “Glorify ” Him by responding in a way that is befitting and true to Him namely to…
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Obey His Command – “Call on ME”
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Cling to His Promise – “And I will Deliver you.”
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Recognize the Potential of the Privilege afforded you – “And you will GLORIFY ME.”
Who is the “ME?” in Psalm 50:15;
The chapter gives us a glimpse of Who He is and His character, what He is Like
In Verse 1 – He is “the Mighty One, God, the LORD, ”
In verse 4 – “Judge”;
In verse 6 – “Righteous”;
In verse 8 – Omniscient-All Knowing One;
In verse 12 – He is the “Owner” of the world,
It is to this One we are to “Call on” in the “Day of Trouble”- He is more than Able, more than Sufficient-He is God!
May He who comforts me, do so to you and together let us purpose to Call on Him in the day of trouble. Together let us believe Him to fulfill His Word to deliver us and may we avail of the priceless, eternal opportunity before us through obeying Him to Glorify Him in the day of Trouble?
“In The Day of Trouble”- you have the opportunity to Glorify God.
You are not alone…”CALL” on Him, in doing so you glorify Him!