Be Realistic

Today's devotional is from Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Psalms

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging" - Psalm 46:1-3.

The writer of Psalm 46 was realistic in that he understood that God would protect him in the midst of trouble but not keep him out of trouble. This is an important distinction because when you think God won't allow something to happen and it happens, you can become disillusioned and disappointed with and even bitter against the Lord.

Today's passage indicates that the tribulation in your life can be traumatic, similar in effect to some of the worst natural disasters you can imagine. It's during those times, however, that you come to know God as your refuge and strength. Without them, you would only know that part of God in theory and not reality.